Tabula Rasa
by MadamObscurum
Summary: She was innocent. He was a sinned man. He took her away from everything, but fate took her back." Sakura Haruno is living with the Akatsuki, only, she doesn't know who they are! ItaSakuSasu
1. Prologue: Won the Battle, Lost the War

**--Hello! ^^ This is my first fanfic. Reviews are very much appreciated. **

**--Warning!! This story may contain spoilers, so read with caution. Oh and this story is slightly AU.**

**--Disclaimer: I don't own the Anime Naruto or its characters. **

**--I'd like to dedicate this story to Lady Hanaka and Crescent Matrix :3 3**

**Prologue**

**~Won the Battle, Lost the War~**

"_Onii chan! Why??" _

"…_Foolish little brother…if you want to kill me, Hate me. Detest me. Run, run away and live in an unsightly way."_

* * *

Walking down the dark street, he felt something tug at his heart. Guilt. But even if he did, he made no effort to show it. His face was emotionless—A face that would belong only to a cold-blooded killer. But, he deemed it fit to remain. After all, he indeed was a killer. He had killed his entire clan with the exception of his little brother who was now unconscious in the compound next to his parents—or what was left of them.

His throat was dry, and so was the blood splattered on his Anbu armor. His thoughts pierced him, like the very blood stained blade that hung on his side, as he headed towards the entrance-or rather _exit-_ of the compound. Had he done the right thing? Had he made the right decision?

His thoughts came to a halt when he heard faint sobs. He realized he was far from the Uchiha compound and was in Konoha Park. It was dark, obviously because it was late evening. One could only make out the simple silhouettes of trees, the dimly lit pathways and the benches that stood adjacent to them.

His eyes turned from Onyx to Ruby. He activated his Sharingan to see clearer into the darkness. He spied a small figure curled under a tree. He crept closer and stopped inches away from the fragile thing.

The fragile thing turned out to be a small girl, a peculiar one at that. He deactivated his Sharingan seeing as she wasn't a threat and studied the small girl. She had pink hair—which was why she was peculiar—that was about shoulder length. Bruised up and hurt, the small girl looked up and cowered at the figure that now stood in front of her.

Then, as if by coincidence, a breeze blew. He looked up feeling the light touches of the wind. It was calm though eerie at the same time, like spirits gently touching his soul. The girl, however, kept her eyes on the figure. He was so enraptured by the wind that he failed to notice a small petal that landed on his shoulder.

It took him a few moments to realize this and picked up the petal. After a while he spoke, "Sakura…?"

The small girl's eyes lit up, "How did you know?"

He peered at the small girl, "…know?"

She didn't notice the petal that settled between his index finger and thumb. "My name." She blinked. Her shaking started to cease.

"Your name is…Sakura?"

"Un." She said with a slight nod. He looked from the cherry blossom, caught between his fingers, and the girl. Her hair had the same shade as the fallen petal. _Ironic_.

He had so wanted to laugh. Her pink hair that matched the cherry blossom's shade and her name amused him so much. It made sense that her name was Sakura. She was probably named that way because of the color of her hair. Indeed, it fit perfectly to the point that it was _funny. _But, this wasn't the time to laugh. He had been through a lot that day and found no point or even the will to give a small chuckle.

"Why are you here?" He asked kneeling on one leg so he had eye contact with her.

"No reason…" Sakura sniffled, finally stopping her crying. Lies.

She was a small girl. An innocent girl, and he was Anbu. Though their age difference would have been small, their skill and experience gap was huge. A shinobi, especially a prodigy such as he, could tell what were lies from truths. Apparently, her answer was indeed a lie. But, he didn't force her to say exactly why she was sobbing under a tree so late at night. His hand simply and unconsciously made its way on her head.

He patted her gently. "Itachi."

Sakura's gaze returned to the man who had spoken. "My name is Itachi." His cold eyes stared into her eyes. She had green eyes that were like emeralds—no—like softened jade. They sparkled in the moonlight; her drying tears added glow to her eyes.

"It's…nice to meet you…Itachi san…" Sakura rubbed her eye.

Itachi, noticing her tears had stopped, stood and started walking away. He only approached her to cease her sobbing in the first place. Now that she had, it was time to go. And probably, he would never come back.

"Ah wait!" Sakura chased after him and gripped the edge of his Anbu outfit.

"…" Itachi remained silent, turning to look at the girl.

"Please…take me with you…" She begged him. It was an irrational decision. He assumed it was one created a few instances ago. It was predictable of a child, especially from one who didn't know what she was getting herself into.

"You can't come with me…" Of course she couldn't. He was a murderer.

Her eyes started watering again. He sighed and crouched down so his eyes could meet hers. _She cries too much…_

"Where I'm going…there's nothing but darkness…" He stated knowing fully that she could not understand the underlying meaning to this.

Sakura's lips trembled, "There's…"

Itachi blinked waiting for what she had to say.

"Anywhere is better than here," She finally said clutching his armor.

Her words caught Itachi by surprise. What had this girl gone through to make her want to leave this place? Was it so bad that she wanted to escape with some random stranger she thought was _good_ because he took the time to stop her crying? Naïve…that's what she was. As to be expected, she is but only a child.

He placed a hand on her chin and lifted it until jade met onyx, "Are you sure?" He knew she was too young to make big decisions such as this. But, he was also young. He was thirteen years old and she was just about 5 or 6 years younger. Then again, he was skilled and adept to being a shinobi at such an age. He was a prodigy and she was…well…_normal._ But he was him, and she was her- two different people.

_Two VERY different people,_ He repeated in his head.

"Yes." She replied immediately with no hesitation. Her eyes held determination and at the same time, a sadness that swirled beneath the depths of her iris.

He rose and started walking. "If you're sure…come then…I warned you" His monotonous voice held her in her tracks. She wouldn't follow. She didn't follow. He inwardly smiled in triumph, but this victory did not last.

Sakura's eyes followed him before she too rose and ran after him. She grabbed onto his armor and smiled.

He had lost the war. He was so sure she would turn to leave. Instead, she ran to him and clung to him. But, what the hell, after all, this was a child.

Maybe to where he was going, she would be alright. Maybe it was _okay_ to bring her along. She didn't seem to have a home…and now, neither did he. Maybe taking her away from this damned place would be good. Probably the last _good_ thing he could do because he knew, that when he walked past the gates of Konoha, he would walk a path of sin.

Itachi glanced at the smiling girl and extended his hand out to her sighing. She took his hand and clutched it tightly.

Hand in hand, they headed towards the gates of Konoha.

* * *

**--So yeah, prologue to my first fanfic. :3 I hope it turns out okay and I hope you guys like it. :3 Read and review please :3 I need all the help I can get. xD**

**--It's slightly AU because I've twisted the timeline a bit. But, it's still the ninja world. :D**

**--Any questions? Please place it in the feedback and I'll answer it in the A/N in the next chapter. ^^; Yeah I'm new to this fanfic thing. xD**

**--Erm I think it's kind of confusing to read, is it? xD**

**-Madam Obscurum, "the brighter the light, the longer the shadow…"**


	2. Chapter 1: Dream World

**A/N: Just a warning, if you're not up to date with the manga, then Itachi might seem OOC. ^^; Incase you aren't, Itachi is a kind and caring person actually. :3 R&R**

**--If there are grammar or spelling mistakes, I apologize. I write the way I talk—with a few edits of known grammar here and there.**

**--So here's the first chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**~"Dream World"~**

"nii san-tachi!!" Tiny footsteps raced down the cement-coated staircase.

The place was a cross between a western style home and the traditional Japanese house. The doors, windows and ornaments screamed Japanese old style home, while the way everything fit together showed modern western. The roof's shingles were made of dark brown wood and the walls were of cement. They were painted a dirty white and the floors made of light brown wood. The grass around it was of uniform height with one another. The dues hitched on them glowed with the bright rays of light illuminated by the sun. Flowers of different colors adorned the pathway. They were like servants. They bowed with the passing of the wind or with the running of an excited little girl.

"You're home!" tiny arms wrapped the black cloth patterned with red clouds, circling around the wearer's waist—or half of it. Pink hair fluttered down to the sides of her face, framing them. She gripped the cloth looking up at the man that stood before her.

"Hn." Onyx eyes were directed to the small girl. "Sakura, you should be more careful."

The small girl pulled away in question. The black haired man sighed, "What if it was a Henge?"

The small girl looked down, lips quivering, when a voice boomed from behind them, "It's alright squirt, at least it was us now" A shark like head popped from behind the onyx haired man.

"Kisame nii kun!" Sakura grinned and embraced the shark man.

"Kisame, you spoil her." Was all Itachi said before walking into the house.

Kisame just grinned and patted the girl before lifting her onto his shoulders. In the sunlight, his blue skin shimmered a light green. Sakura clung to his neck. She was happy to know they were back.

* * *

Sakura was sitting idly on a couch when Itachi stepped out from the kitchen and into the living room. He was shirtless; but, it never really bothered the 10 year-old-girl.

It had been more or less a year since the day Itachi had taken Sakura away from Konoha—away from her pain. And even then, she had never told anyone why she wanted to leave the place. Everyone never even bothered to ask thinking she would tell them she she was ready.

Itachi glanced at the small girl then turned to head to his room.

Sakura stared at Itachi taking in the small scars tattooed on his back. That's when she spied a gash on his side. Shocked, she jumped off the chair and ran to Itachi's side. "Itachi-nii san! Your side has a wound!"

Itachi had turned to look at the girl and before he could even grunt, she had taken his hand. She pulled him into his own room. At least he got there faster.

"Sa-" The girl, about four or five years younger placed a hand on his mouth. His expressionless face turned to her. What was this child doing? He made it a habit to call her 'child' seeing as that was what she was.

The girl opened a drawer and took out bandages. And it wasn't the long bandages that were used in hospitals, no, these were bandages for little children. _Band-aids. _That's what Sakura called them.

Itachi glared at Sakura. No, she wouldn't dare. He sent several death glares at the pink haired child who ignored them skillfully. "Itachi nii san, you injured yourself again. You should be more careful."

He sighed. _Careful?_ It was a mission to steal a heavily guarded scroll. _Careful_ was written all over the mission. The gash was as careful as it could be. If he hadn't been so, he would've returned with more than a simple 'cut' on his side.

Sakura placed the red band-aid on the cut. "There all better" She chirped happily and bent down to inspect the wound.

Itachi felt something soft against where his wound would be. Sakura had _kissed_ the wound. What was he, a small boy? And what was she, his mother? He was more than capable of taking care of himself. He was a shinobi- he was…Akatsuki. But he could never bring himself to tell her that.

He, long ago, had decided that no one was to reveal to her what he did and what he was doing. Each night, as the pink haired girl curled next to him, he'd wonder if he was doing the right thing. He would tell her in time, that was inevitable, but now he would revel in her innocence.

It was the one thing that kept her by his side, and the one reason he refused to tell her his secrets. Why he was out that night, where she was, who he was, who all of them were—the truth of everything.

The creak of the door and illuminating light that cracked with its opening brought him back. Kisame stood there grinning his usual goofy grin. Itachi hn'ed at his blue-skinned partner.

"Leader sama wants to see us for the mission report."

"hn."

"Leader sama?!" She bounced off the bed. It was a rare treat to see the leader. He rarely came to the external bases.

She ran towards the living room expecting the leader of the group, but met only with a blonde fellow. "Oh…Deidara nii chan." She didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed.

"What's wrong, yeah?" He asked. He was concerned, shouldn't she be happy to see him? Or could it be that she didn't like him anymore?

"Nothing, I just…nothing." She said glancing around the room and found no one else.

"Hey, you seem sad," He pouted "Fine I'll leave then, yeah"

Sakura grabbed him from behind, "No. I'm sorry- I didn't mean-"

"She thought you were leader sama." A monotonous voice answered behind them.

Itachi stepped out. His eyes roamed around the room and landed on the door as it began to open.

Sasori, inside his puppet, walked in- or rather crouched in. "Sasori nii sama!"

He didn't respond as the girl ran and embraced the hard wood. "Sasori nii sama, why don't you come out?" She asked cocking her head slightly to the side.

Deidara placed a hand on her head, "Don't bother him. He wants to hide his ugly face, yeah." He said chuckling at his insult.

Sasori was about to fight back when Sakura did it for him, "Ah—but Sasori nii sama isn't ugly. He's very cute!" she said proudly and not a hint of reluctance. Truth be told, his real form looked just a few years older than Sakura, well so was Deidara and Itachi.

"Oh? Squirt likes Sasori?" Kisame walked out of the kitchen, a bottle of sake in hand and Samehada in the other.

"Of course!" Sakura replied. And by 'Cute' she meant not ugly. Sasori was indeed good looking. Red hair and dark eyes, women would faun over him if he chose to come out of his puppet. But, to Sakura the child, cute wasn't meant that way. Even if once or twice she'd have her heart racing around him because of him being too close.

Deidara felt a pang in his heart. Wasn't _he _her favorite? "Sakura chan likes sasori sama, yeah?" He asked pouting slightly.

Sakura nodded, "Yes. But, Deidara nii chan, Itachi nii san, Kisame nii kun are cute too!" She declared.

Deidara sighed in relief as he placed a hand on her pink locks. "Ah I see…" he was grinning. How cute. She was so naïve. She didn't even know the underlying meaning of 'cute'. And he was real glad she didn't.

* * *

They all settled in. Deidara sat on one end of the couch, Sakura next to him and Kisame after her. Itachi settled to the recliner next to Kisame, and Sasori opted to not sit at all.

Their leader suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. It was just an image of course—a hologram of him. "Leader otou sama!" Sakura bounced in her seat.

Ever since she was taken into the house, not knowing it was the Akatsuki base, she had opted to call their leader otou sama. He didn't mind of course. On several occasions, she had made their leader smile and even laugh. "Hello Sakura chan" He said bluntly just for the purpose of replying to the girl.

A figure was barely visible behind him. It was hard to tell who it was because it was just a silhouette, but Sakura knew better. "Konan okaa sama!" The figure gave a curt nod at her name. Konan was always next to the leader. Sakura had simply implanted in her mind that if leader was 'otou sama' then konan would be 'okaa sama'. It was a simple logic that she devised in her own mind.

Kisame held back a chuckle. Instead, he gave a grin that said 'knew those two were together'.

"I have called you here to remind you of our goals." The leader said after a pause. The four males shifted in their positions getting ready for the information to be relayed to them.

It had been the usual post mission report. After finishing a mission, come back to a branch base, report to the leader and he assigns you to another mission. Then, the whole cycle continues with a hitch here and there when leader-sama decides to 'remind' them of their goal and the three major steps on how to get there.

"Our first step to our goal, what we're doing now, is gaining the funds for our goal."

Sakura cocked her head to the side. Her head was filling up with questions like, 'how do we get these funds?' 'What's everyone doing to earn these funds?' or even 'Can I help?' But, she didn't dare interrupt their leader and ask these questions.

The last time she so rudely—as Sasori nii sama had called it—interrupted, Itachi nii san had locked her up in his room for the entire day. It was only later at dinnertime was she allowed to go out of the room.

Before leader sama could say the second step, Itachi stood and apologized for interrupting leader. He turned to Sakura, "Sakura, get my scrolls in my room." His voice was demanding that Sakura could not refuse a command from him, even if she wanted to.

She slid off the couch and ran to his room. Everyone glanced at Itachi. He sat back down, apologizing once more and asked the leader to continue.

* * *

Sakura crouched down beneath Itachi's desk. He always placed his scrolls in a trap door beneath the desk and she always wondered why. She attempted to ask why before, but he just shrugged her off with a 'hn' and walked off.

Finally finding the handle hidden underneath the carpet, she pulled it up. The hiding place was small. It was just big enough to fit a few scrolls, some kunai and tags that had yet to become exploding tags. "Got'cha!"

She closed the hatch down so it was well hidden and raced out of the room and handed the scrolls to Itachi who took them. She plopped down on the couch and listened to leader.

"You all know your missions?" Leader asked eyeing the scrolls in Itachi's hands.

Apparently, while Sakura was getting the scrolls, leader had finished the briefing without her. Sakura huffed to herself and lay back on the couch before Deidara propped himself up after he realized something.

"Hold on, if we all go on missions who's going to watch Sakura chan, yeah?"

"Hidan and Kakuzu will be arriving in a few days, and when they arrive, you will be leaving."

Sakura stiffened in her seat. If there was something worse than a drunken Kisame baby-sitting her, it was Hidan and Kakuzu baby sitting her. It wasn't that she didn't like them, not at all. She actually liked them because Hidan nii san and Kakuzu nii san were good company sometimes.

Hidan would tell her stories about Jashin and Kakuzu would lecture her on the value of money. She surmised that children her age would find it boring, but she oddly found it amusing. She'd sit there nodding her head as they talked. No, she didn't dislike them; she actually liked them. It was just in certain times when she didn't _like_ them.

She didn't like Hidan nii san when he would start spitting a string of curses at her for some random reason like having pink hair.

What was wrong with her having pink hair? It wasn't like she chose to have that color. She was born with it, and she had to live with it. And why did Hidan nii san have to curse so much? Once or twice she felt like her ears would bleed with all the profanity he was saying.

But, he had his karma. Once or twice he was almost beaten bloody by the other Akatsuki members because she had learned to say 'fuck' the last time Hidan and Kakuzu were assigned to watch her.

And she definitely didn't like Kakuzu nii san when she'd ask money from him to buy groceries. She simply asked for a small amount to buy vegetables. He sent to her room for being 'unwise' about money.

Kakuzu nii san wasn't open at all. He never listened to her reasoning when it came to financial matters. When she was with Kakuzu nii san, she'd eat nothing but bread and butter for days. He said it was because they were on a tight budget and they needed to "save money"—frankly, they were quite rich. Every month, she'd see Itachi nii san with a thick envelope full of money.

After the first three days of having nothing but bread and butter, she'd grown thin. Her cheekbones protruded and her hair seemed to dull in its color. But he paid for that, though he was grateful he didn't have to _pay_ in cash. He'd rather get the punishment they gave him when they returned.

After beating Hidan senseless and having a few body parts scramble in the backyard—because Sasori nii sama refused to clean after them—Deidara nii chan and Kisame nii kun turned to Kakuzu and beat _him_ senseless for letting her get to that state.

They, well more on Deidara, fed her lots of good food afterwards. In a few days she was back to her old self. After that, Sakura refused to eat or even look at bread and butter.

Sakura put the thoughts away and nodded to leader sama, despite Deidara's complaints, who asked if she was okay with it. Deep down, however, she was trembling. Would she have to be forced to listen to curses and eat nothing but bread and butter?

* * *

The day had come to pass and it was now night. The moon glowed a soft white and sent tiny rays into the household. It was quiet. Everyone had turned to their rooms and gone to bed.

Deidara, after being threatened by the leader, finally stopped complaining about Hidan and Kakuzu baby-sitting Sakura saying that 'she would be nothing but skin and bones when we get back, yeah.'

Sakura sat on the edge of the bed listening to the shower. Itachi did some extra training after the briefing and came to the room sweating heavily. When he walked in, his clothes stuck to his skin. It was only because of the black cloak with red clouds patterned onto it that it didn't look so.

She heard the knob squeak and after a few moments, Itachi walked out of the bathroom. He was clad in nothing but his black pants. His chest was bare with only the towel hanging loosely on his shoulders. His jet-black hair wasn't tied into a pony; instead, it sprawled down on his shoulders.

Sakura waited for him to lay down with her. She was supposed to be sleeping, but she never really could unless someone stayed with her. She was afraid to sleep alone—afraid something would come out if she lay alone. It was quite silly, really.

A few months ago it was the cause for Itachi and Sakura's first fight. She had complained about being scared, and he simply called her weak for being afraid of a something so _foolish_. She refused to talk to him for a week—until she finally gave up and came crawling back to Itachi apologizing.

It occurred to her that 'Itachi nii san hated losing'. He never even admitted that it was his fault. It _was_ his fault—he was 'mean' to call her fear foolish and trivial. Although after that incident, Itachi never complained when Sakura asked him to stay by her side until she fell asleep. Sakura guessed it was his way of understanding her. Often, she'd doubt her hypothesis and say it was just to keep her quiet.

Itachi glanced at the pink haired girl before sitting next to her. Sakura beamed at him before going under the covers, just peaking her head out. A few strands of her hair fluttered onto the pillow, scattering,

He inwardly grunted upon seeing her hair scatter on the pillow. He lay down next to her and looked at her once more before he too was under the covers and laying on his side. He, however, was turned away from the 'cherry blossom'. Sakura pouted disappointed that he didn't face her. He never did.

"Itachi nii san…?" She called softly.

Silence answered her as she gave a small smile. _It's alright…this is good enough…_ she closed her eyes and slowly, she sunk into her dream world.

* * *

Itachi was awake. When Sakura had called to him, he chose to remain quiet. He didn't feel like conversing. Then again, he never really felt like conversing. He didn't use to be like this.

He feigned sleep as he drifted into his own dream world. A world he called 'his thoughts'. Unlike Sakura, he traveled there while he was awake. He never had dreams—not anymore—after that incident happened.

He recounted the night he turned away from everything: from his village, from his family, from himself. His hand twitched and a sickening feeling rose from the pit of his stomach. He could still feel the crimson liquid splattered on his hands. The blood. God he hated the feel of his clan's blood smudged against his skin.

His eyebrows furrowed and his hands tightened into fists. But he wouldn't ask forgiveness. He could never be forgiven anyway. He would never forgive himself. Then his thoughts drifted to the one life he spared from the massacre. His brother—Sasuke. How was he? Was he safe? How would he live having no one with him? Would he forgive him? Of course not. Sasuke, of all people, would never forgive him.

Before he started the massacre, he had decided that he would bury Sasuke in lies. _His_ lies. Hopefully, his lies would turn into something good for Sasuke. He hoped dearly that Sasuke lived. It was a good thought--knowing that Sasuke was alive--even if it meant living in hatred.

He sighed. He didn't want to think anymore.

His fists softened and his eyes shut slowly and followed Sakura into sleep. Only, Sakura entered a world filled with flowers, white fluffy clouds and wonderful things. He, however, entered a world of nothingness. He saw nothing but darkness and never-ending oblivion.

* * *

**A/N: So the first chapter. How was it? ^^; Too long? Too short? Hard to understand? I'm really nervous on what people think. xD So basically, this chapter introduced some of the Akatsuki members, and to focused on Itachi's thoughts. Yes Sakura sleeps with Itachi—not that kind of sleep . She's ten! He's about 14 or so.**

**--I realize Deidara (or the others) shouldn't even be there, but I'll point out that this story is slightly AU. This is because I messed with the time line. xD let's pretend deidara was recruited at an earlier age ==**

**-Madam Obscurum "What is fiction and what is reality? We are all enclosed to what we **_**believe**_** is reality and what we **_**think**_** is fiction…" **


	3. Chapter 2: Keeping It Clean

**--Claimer: nothing but the plot and the screwing up of the time line **

**--Thank you for the reviews :D **

**--Warning: Lots of swearing. xD**

**Chapter 2**

**~Keeping it Clean~**

"I'm going to miss you, yeah!" Deidara held onto Sakura tightly. She smoothed his blonde hair smiling awkwardly. The mouths in his hands had licked her sides making her shiver.

"I'll be alright Deidara nii chan!" She assured him though she was really nervous. Hidan nii san and Kakuzu nii san was coming. She swallowed and hid her anxiety.

Sasori, inside his puppet, appeared. He lifted his scorpion tail and patted Sakura's head with it as if it were some kind of spell to keep her safe.

Deep inside his puppet, he smiled knowing no one would see except Sakura. Sakura always knew when he was smiling. She always knew how any of them _really _felt.

Often times, they'd feel ashamed of themselves. Sakura could easily see behind their masks. She could tell the sadness that lied beneath the smiles, or the happiness beneath the frowns. It always made them wonder if this girl had some kind of jutsu that made her see their true selves.

Sasori pointed the tip of his tail at Deidara, "If you don't let go, I'm going to run this through you." He threatened growing impatient, "You know I hate waiting."

_That's right,_ Sakura glanced at Sasori nii sama, _Sasori nii sama wasn't a patient man._

Kisame stumbled out of the kitchen holding the last bottle of sake. Well not really since _the last,_ there were a lot more in the fridge. It was probably just the last bottle of sake until he got back home from the mission.

He approached Sakura and crouched down and drank the last few droplets of sake hungrily. "Oi neko squirt," That was her nickname for her. When she first arrived, she was so tiny Kisame called her 'squirt'. And, she was also apprehensive, quick tempered and held grudges—definitely a cat. (And because Kisame didn't want to admit that when she was angry, she looked like a crazed tiger with pink fur and green eyes)

"Kisame nii kun…you're drunk." She warned him taking the bottle in her hands, "It's not good for you to be drunk and on a mission."

"Bah! What do I care? I can do some drunken moves!" He said swaying from side to side and waving his arms around to mock punches.

"She's right." A short statement said in a deep monotonous voice. Only one person could say something with an air of confidence and grace.

"Itachi nii san!" It was Sakura's turn to hug. She rushed to him and held onto his arms just as she did a year ago. "I'll miss you, onii san…" Tears started forming in her eyes.

Itachi grunted and patted her head before kneeling on one leg as he did so long ago. "You cry too much." A blunt statement. Anyone else would have probably gotten mad or sad at him, but Sakura knew better. She always did—as much as they all hated to admit. She saw through all of them.

Sakura grinned wiping her tears away. _Please stop crying._ That's what Itachi nii san meant. At least, she added the please. It was hard to imagine him saying please.

"Come back safe, okay?" Itachi gave a curt nod before rising and patting her head one more time.

In pairs, they all headed out the door. The door didn't close, however, because they all heard screams from afar. They weren't screams of pain—well technically they were—though it didn't hold _excruciating_ pain.

"What the hell are you fucking doing?? You damned shit-brain!" A string of curses could only mean one thing: Hidan nii san.

"Shut up Hidan, you almost made me drop the coins!" A voice yelled after the previous. Coins lead to Money. Money meant Kakuzu nii san.

"Don't tell me what to do, you tentacle bastard!" He held his scythe over his shoulder and was screaming at Kakuzu.

Kakuzu wanted to retort with a 'they're not tentacles they're tendrils', but an icy command made catch his words.

"Hidan, stop talking." Itachi spoke up. Everyone turned to Itachi. Was he angry? They couldn't tell. But they did know that Itachi never liked Hidan's profanities especially since a certain someone with pink hair, green eyes and about waist high was standing behind them.

If they were alone maybe he could ignore the profanity. But behind them stood a ten year old. Itachi wouldn't let them fill her head with such _indecencies_. He developed a sense of responsibility to keep Sakura 'unpolluted'—just as she was a year ago when he found her.

The incoming pair turned to the raven-haired man.

Hidan snorted in disdain. He never liked the Uchiha. He always acted high and mighty just because his eyes could glow red, copy things and read taijutsu, genjutsu and ninjutsu.

Well sure it sounded good, but Hidan was better. Hidan was _immortal_ for Jashin's sake. Unlike Itachi, he wouldn't die—so long as he had sacrifices. Not even if he had a sword plunging through his side like he did now.

The pair stopped a few inches before the other two pairs. Hidan smirked, "So we'll be handlin' this base while you guys go off on missions?"

"That's right." Sasori responded. He was on all fours and his tail was raised. He was always prepared to fight.

"Hey don't forget abou' li'l squirt-neko over 'ere!" Kisame hiccupped and pointed at the girl who stood in the doorway.

"What?? You're fucking kidding me?? We gotta baby-sit again?? Damn. This isn't my day." Hidan rubbed the back of his head.

"Hidan." Itachi's eyes narrowed at Hidan who shrugged him off.

"And this time, take better care of her, yeah!" Deidara cut in glaring at the two immortals.

"And who the hell do you think you are to boss me around??" Hidan sneered as he taunted the blonde.

"Just because you can't die, doesn't mean I can't blow you up to bits, yeah!" Deidara snapped back.

Sasori's tail tensed. He so badly wanted to strike the two. Kakuzu didn't feel better either. A tendril slipped out of his hand feeling the same. And as the argument escalated, so did their impatience.

"Enough!" The two said in unison. They glanced at one another before looking away.

"Well whatever, just make sure Sakura chan is okay, yeah!" Deidara turned to Sakura and smiled, "We'll finish this quick and get back to you as fast as possible, un!"

Sakura timidly nodded then she remembered something. She raced off to her and Itachi's room. Everyone stood there wondering what was so important that she had to rush back inside.

After a few minutes, Sakura returned with a bag. She crouched down, placed the bag down and opened it to reveal its contents.

She brought out a small clay statue of a flower, a pink jug, a pair of pink wooden chopsticks and a pink bottle.

Kisame and Deidara blinked. What were those for?

As if she read their mind, she looked up at them and grinned. "Just some things to wish nii sans a safe trip!" She stood, holding the knick-knacks in her arms and approached Deidara first.

"So that Deidara nii chan isn't lonely!" She handed him an attempt at a clay flower. Deidara figured it was really supposed to be a cherry blossom tree. Deidara sniffled a bit and embraced Sakura. "Thanks, yeah!"

Sakura moved to Kisame and handed him a jug. The jug already had something inside and drunken Kisame immediately knew what it was, "You're kidding me?? Sake???" Kisame chuckled, "You're good li'l squirt. Oi Itachi, now I get to drink on the mission."

Itachi merely grunted.

He watched Sakura walk to Sasori and hand him a pair of pink wooden chopsticks. She told Sasori it was a good luck charm. Sasori merely said nothing and pocketed the wooden eating utensils. She grinned at the puppet master before she made her way to him.

_She has a gift for me too?_

Sakura, blushing slightly, placed a small bottle in his hands. It was a light shade of pink.

If he wasn't mistaken, it was the bottle he and Sakura saw in the market a few months ago. She had begged him to lend her money. And with a slight indifference to what she was going to use the money on, he agreed. He didn't think she would've bought the bottle. But here it was nestled at the palm of hand.

He brought it closer to his face, further inspecting it. Inside was a sweet scent. It was a scent that reminded him of a fresh spring garden. He looked at the girl as if to say, 'what's inside?'

Sakura answered him knowing fully what the look he gave her meant. "Medicine. Because you get injured a lot."

She sounded demure and mature—at least she tried to sound that way. Her childish high pitch voice could still be heard though. Around Itachi, she always tried to act 'grown up', but Itachi never really took notice.

Itachi merely grunted and placed the bottle inside his cloak.

For a while, the four stared at Sakura. They didn't want to leave her alone with the two immortals. What if something happened to her while they were away?

Sasori was the first to break from his train of thought, "We should go." His voice was husky from inside the puppet.

Kisame and Deidara nodded while Itachi hn'ed. And with one last look, the four took off.

Sakura watched their backs fade until she couldn't see them anymore. It worried her that she didn't see them. The ten year old stared at the open path unmoving from her place. She wanted to stay there and wait for them to return.

Kakuzu turned to Sakura who was still staring at the pathway away from the base. He sighed and tapped her shoulder and told her to come in.

With one last look, she ripped her gaze away from the path and headed inside the base.

It was dinnertime. Sakura sat to Kakuzu's right and Hidan was at his left. While Hidan was munching down his food, Kakuzu counted his money and Sakura just pushed food around her plate.

She didn't feel like eating and this pissed Kakuzu off, but he didn't scream at her though he was yearning to. He simply sighed. "Sakura," he addressed her by her first name and no honorific, "eat your food."

Sakura glanced at Kakuzu and pouted, "I don't feel like eating Kakuzu nii san…"

"Would you like bread and butter instead?" He asked dropping his money on the table and folding his arms across his chest. He raised a brow, "Well?"

She tensed. "N-no." She pierced a piece of meat that Hidan had _graciously_ cut for her and popped it into her mouth.

Kakuzu inwardly smirked and resumed to counting his money, "Thought so."

The two heard the clanking of a plate. Hidan had finished.

He stood and walked over to the living room area and sat on the couch. He rubbed his side. The sword was gone now…after an hour's worth of pulling and cleaning that is.

He heard more clanking of plates before he heard the thud of glass being placed on wood. Sakura had finished as well. He then heard the shuffling of feet and the clanking of plates clinking with metal. He heard a brief squeak of the faucet and the sound of running water. So she was washing the dishes.

While in the household, the leader had asked Sakura to be the housekeeper. She always did the dishes after every meal, cleaned the house, did the garden, and basically all the household chores. If Sakura wasn't so valuable to everyone—to which she was—she would've been mistaken for the Akatsuki maid.

Hidan heard a small squeak and the sound of running water had stopped. He then heard the creak of a chair and Kakuzu's voice. "Since we're done here, go get some sleep."

"Hai, Kakuzu nii san."

Hidan glanced at his left and saw a flash of pink race up the stairs and the sound of the door closing upstairs.

He smirked, "So she's getting ready for bed then…li'l bitch." It was what he called her when she wasn't around. He had yet to call her that in front of everyone but the thought of his body parts sprawled all over the lawn wasn't a good one.

Holding a bundle of money, Kakuzu stepped out of the kitchen and sat on the recliner next to his.

"I don't get it." Hidan's arms stretched over the sofa's heads; his own was raised to stare at the ceiling.

"Don't get what?" Kakuzu asked as he began flicking and counting money.

"Her. I mean, we're Akatsuki. Why isn't she scared of us? We could fucking her kill her."

Kakuzu ceased his counting and looked up at Hidan, "Did it ever occur to you that she didn't know that we were Akatsuki? Or _what_ the Akatsuki is?"

Hidan choked on something and gawked at Kakuzu, "No way! No fucking way! She doesn't know we're Akatsuki?"

Kakuzu sighed mentally slapping himself, "I doubt it. The last time we were here, when leader was briefing us on goals and missions, Itachi asked her to get something right?"

Hidan nodded, "Yeah but what the hell's that got to do with anything?"

"I got curious and asked Deidara about it because he seemed to know what was up with it."

He placed the bundle of money down on the coffee table.

"It seems Itachi always asks her to get or do something when it came to mission briefings or reports." Kakuzu inspected the stitching in his fingers and noticed one out of place.

"Probably, the Uchiha didn't want her to know what they were doing." He continued then reached for his pocket and pulled out a black case.

Hidan scoffed, "So…the li'l bitch really doesn't know what she's in, huh?" He smirked, "She's definitely screwed."

He had returned to staring at the ceiling, "Living in a house full of murderers and not being aware…fucked up right there."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes at him, "But what's really odd is that no one really minds her…" He paused to think of the right word to use, "…obliviousness."

He opened the case and took out a needle and a spindle of black strings. "Probably…they're keeping her pure."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone probably doesn't want her to be tainted." He detached a few strings on his palm. His pinky fell on his lap, but he didn't wince in pain. Instead, he picked it up and began reattaching it with the same black strings, "I can sort of understand why though…"

Hidan grimaced, "And what would be the reason then? They're bored?"

"Sakura's a good kid…Imagine what it would do to her if she found out we killed people for a living…"

"Well yeah…But it still doesn't explain why I'm not allowed to curse in front of the bitch or show her weapons sticking through me." He recounted having earlier shifted the Akatsuki cloak to hide the sword sticking out his side.

"It would scare her," Kakuzu said obviously referring to the weapons part, "And I'd guess the cursing to keep her innocent."

There it was. The word. Innocent.

"What's so special about her anyway? Is she supposed to have some kind of power that only appears as long as she's pure?"

Kakuzu shrugged, "I don't know." He glanced up the stairs, "But I'd rather prefer the Sakura now then a demented girl who killed for pleasure.

Hidan tried imaging Sakura as a psychopathic killer like him. He shuddered at his thoughts and pushed them away. "Damn. Even if she didn't have powers, seeing a bloodied Sakura is going to make me look bad."

_She would be scarier than me. _Hidan thought, _with all the pink hair and bright green eyes and blood running down her body. It'll make anyone shit himself. Damn straight._

Kakuzu didn't even bother to ask him to say what he was thinking. "I wouldn't want that either." He cut of the string and returned the case inside his pocket.

"Besides, if she were a shinobi running missions like us, she'd have to receive pay check. More expenses…" And Kakuzu hated spending and losing money more than anything.

Hidan glanced at Kakuzu, "why do you need to sew yourself, anyway? You've got your tendrils to keep you together right?"

Kakuzu didn't answer and placed coins of the same value with one another.

Hidan inwardly grunted. _Weirdo…and he calls me the sadistic masochist…_

Upstairs, Sakura sat on the edge of Itachi's bed. She trembled slightly as she gripped the edges of the black satin covers. She crawled to the headboard and lay down.

She sighed.

She was always fine with Itachi being away because she knew there would be a Deidara nii chan, Sasori nii sama or a Kisame nii kun to be there for her.

However, this time there was no Deidara nii chan to smooth her hair and tell her funny things to keep her mind off of Itachi. Deidara was the youngest among all her nii sans being only three years older. When she first came to the base, she thought there were two females: Konan okaa san and Deidara nee chan.

It was through a drunken Kisame that stripped Deidara halfway that she found out that Deidara nee chan was infact a Deidara nii chan. The revelation was too much for Sakura because the day before that, Deidara had refused to give Sakura a bath and she wondered why. Now, she knew. Sasori was forced to give her a wooden marionette because the girl wouldn't come out of Itachi's room.

Sasori nii sama…

He was the only one among her nii sans that she addressed with a 'sama'. She thought it fit to call him that because his puppets were 'works of art' as he'd like to call them. When Deidara nii chan wasn't there, it was Sasori nii sama who put her to sleep.

It was a few months ago when Sasori gave Sakura a wooden music box that played a soothing lullaby. It always cheered her up. During the fight with Itachi nii san over her 'foolishness', she would often listen to it constantly to soothe her. Ever since, she would always listen to it before going to bed when Itachi nii san was away with Kisame nii kun on missions.

Kisame nii kun wasn't really a 'caring' person. In definition of caring, she could never see Kisame nii kun as a father or a figure that was 'motherly' like the rest. She viewed him as the playful alcoholic older brother. He was always playing around with her and was always there to cheer her up.

But even if she didn't see him as a motherly person, she knew he cared for her in his own way. Once, a kite konan okaa san had made for her got stuck in a tall tree. Kisame volunteered to get it. Though afterwards she owed him a bottle of sake. Nevertheless, Kisame nii kun was an important figure in her life. Next to Deidara nii chan and Itachi nii san.

Itachi nii san was her favorite. It ashamed her to have had favoritism among them, but she couldn't help it. If she hadn't met Itachi nii san on that night then she wouldn't have been there. He was always there to look out for her—more than the others actually, despite the mask he always wore.

She knew that beneath his emotionless mask there lay a good man. She could see it in his eyes. But, it also made her wonder why he even had to have that mask on.

Why did he hide his true feelings to everyone? Though on several occasions, she thought she saw Itachi smile. And it was always when they were alone. It seemed his emotionless façade faded a bit when they were alone. In some way, it pleased her. The only person he briefly remove his mask around was only with her.

This made Sakura smile. She was making several efforts to fall asleep engulfed in the thoughts of her onii sans who were doing missions. Sometimes she wished they didn't have to.

She wished they would stay in that house and be a family. She wished Pain otou san and Konan okaa san would stay at their base instead of the main base which was far away. She wished Zetsu nii san would drop by once in a while. She was always amused with the way he always seemed to be talking to himself.

A family…She wanted that. She didn't want them to fall apart—to be separated. She wanted to have a family that would stay together.

But they were Shinobi and it was inevitable.

Sakura drifted off to sleep after that thought. She returned to her dream world only to see her onii sans fighting off enemies and protecting her. Her onii sans…her knights.

Hidan yawned lifting himself off the couch. "Right, I'm heading to bed. My head hurts like fucking hell…"

It was Kakuzu's turn to scoff, "Off you go to bed then…" he mimicked a mother telling her child to go to bed. How he enjoyed mocking his partner. It was rare to annoy him with that tactic though. He decided to take a chance at the opportunity.

"Sure…_mother"_ Hidan laughed at his come back. His reply was an irritated silence. This only made Hidan laugh more.

Kakuzu plopped the bundles of cash that piled up on the coffee table inside a pouch disappointed in his lack of 'come back skills'. _Eh well, next time I'll do a lot more bounty missions to get on his nerves. _ "Ah Hidan…"

"Eh?" Hidan turned his head a bit.

"Remember, for whatever reasons, we need to keep Sakura innocent. Just so they don't…mutilate us." It was true they wouldn't die, but the clean up job—because Sakura wasn't allowed to see the horrifying sight of blood and body parts all over the house—and the fixing was painstakingly difficult.

Hidan continued heading up the stairs, "I know that. I'm not fucking stupid."

"That's what I'm talking about. Leader sama will have our head if Sakura so much as says _one_ curse"

"We won't die anyway…"

"Hidan…" a warning tone. _You try do the cleaning and stitching._

"Fine fine fine, I'll try to stop cursing in front of her."

"Good, let's keep everything clean. Consider it a mission…"

"Whatever…" Hidan yawned again. He took slow steps up the steps while his scythe was shouldered on him. "This is has got to be most fucking god damned hardest mission ever." Oh he just couldn't resist.

Kakuzu twitched.

Hidan knew what was coming. "HIDAN!"

Hidan raced upstairs laughing to himself. "Right right, I got it. Keep it _clean_"

Kakuzu grumbled muttering which sounded along the lines of, 'crazy…stupid…damned idiot…cut his head…see _him_ do the cleaning…'

**A/N: So in this chapter, we see Kakuzu and Hidan, Sakura's innocence, Sakura's relationship with her four nii sans, and Hidan's cursing. == xD**

**--I also wonder if there's OOC-ness. If there is, please tell me. **

**--****I could cry, I got good reviews in the first few minutes I posted my story. xD 33 **

**--The next two****-three chapters **_**might**_** take a little bit longer to write. It needs lots of pondering and editing on. :3**

**-Madam Obscurum ****"It's always darkest before the dawn." (Oh btw, these quotes are not from me. It's either I remembered them somewhere and revamped the quote a bit, or I got it off a site)**


	4. Chapter 3: Glass Soul

**--Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto :o I only own the plot of this story, and the Hidan's story. I made that up, so I own that :3**

**--Thank you for the reviews! :D haha I'm glad you all like cute Sakura, but sorry you can't have her D **

**--Lady Natsume: Could you please explain what you mean when you said a stimulus? A stimulus for what exactly? ^^;**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**~Glass Soul~**

_Swish_. "Ha! Take that you fucking piece of-"

"Hidan…" An aggravated voice called.

Hidan was in the Akatsuki training grounds slicing a few dummies. He had managed to do a lot of clean cuts. The dummies made of straw would have rough edges if cut with no skill. His dummies, however, had smooth edges.

So much adrenaline pumped because of his excitement that he forgot what Kakuzu had told him two nights before.

"_Ah Hidan…"_

_"Eh?" Hidan turned his head a bit._

_"Remember, for whatever reasons, we need to keep Sakura innocent. Just so they don't…mutilate us." It was true they wouldn't die, but the clean up job—because Sakura wasn't allowed to see the horrifying sight of blood and body parts all over the house—and the fixing was painstakingly difficult. _

_Hidan continued heading up the stairs, "I know that. I'm not fucking stupid."_

_"That's what I'm talking about. Leader sama will have our head if Sakura so much as says _one_ curse" _

_"We won't die anyway…" _

_"Hidan…" a warning tone. _You try do the cleaning and stitching.

_"Fine fine fine, I'll try to stop cursing in front of her."_

_"Good, let's keep everything clean. Consider it a mission…" _

_"Whatever…" Hidan yawned again. He took slow steps up the steps while his scythe was shouldered on him. "This is has got to be most fucking god damned hardest mission ever." Oh he just couldn't resist._

_Kakuzu twitched. _

_Hidan knew what was coming. "HIDAN!" _

_Keep it clean_ he reminded himself. _Damn this isn't working. Oh screw this I can't fucking do it! _He gripped the edge of his scythe. _Hold on, that's it! I'll just curse in my head._

"Ah…Hidan nii san, Kakuzu nii san…" A timid voice softly said behind them.

Kakuzu turned to see Sakura standing with a tray in her hands, "Don't be scared. We told you we were sorry about last time." He was obviously referring to the bread and butter incident.

Sakura hesitated at first before she grinned. She walked out onto the porch and placed the tray on the table next to Kakuzu.

"Nii sans looked thirsty."

Kakuzu stared at the girl. _How cute—though she just wasted money on juice. Ah what the hell._

He grabbed a glass and sipped, "Thank you, Sakura."

This made Sakura's meek grin widen as she ran and embraced the stitched man.

Kakuzu and Hidan had spent the last two days trying to make up for their baby-sitting faults last time.

They swore—and Hidan really _swore_—that they would look 'good' in her eyes. Because for some weird reason, they felt good knowing that in her eyes, they were _righteous—_even if it were only in her eyes. Somehow, they were satisfied with that. They took delight in being the heroes in someone's 'fucked up' mind (Hidan couldn't help but curse) although that mind was Sakura's. In her eyes, her nii sans were good people who cared and did missions to _help _other people.

Then the guilt stung. _Stupid human emotions. _

They slightly felt pity for the girl. She was completely unaware of the dark truth beneath everything. It, however, further pushed them to hide the truth from her like everyone did. They were glad to have gotten to know the girl. Earlier on, they would've told her that they were S class criminals who killed people and screwed up people's lives for fun. Now, they decided to hide it from her, afraid that her clean and fragile soul would shatter like the glass it was.

Glass. That's exactly what her soul was. It was so clean that you could peer and read through it clearly. Unlike theirs, there were no defects. It was smooth, clean, transparent and beautiful. It shimmered, glowed and spread light when some divine force hit it.

Kakuzu grinned. _This girl…_ Then a thought came into mind making him frown. He peered at the girl who sat on his lap watching Hidan. It was an amusing sight. He had gone through more than of the training dummies and had yet to curse. He was doing fairly well for someone like him.

His thoughts wandered back to the jade-eyed girl. This girl's soul was like glass. That meant it was just as fragile. Holding it too tight would break it; held too loose, it would fall and shatter.

"Kakuzu nii san…?"

A voice called to him, "What is it Sakura?"

"Do you think I can be a shinobi one day?"

The thought struck Kakuzu, "You…A shinobi?" _How ironic._

She nodded. Questions swam in her eyes. _So she was unaware of her fragility? _

"Maybe…"

That wasn't the answer she was looking for. She merely pouted and turned away from him. "Hidan nii san is acting funny…"

Kakuzu glanced at Hidan. Was something wrong? He looked perfectly fine. "Hidan?"

She nodded, "un." Then she placed her index finger on her cheek pondering. Kakuzu could only wonder what was going through her mind.

"He's not…cursing." She said as if she knew what went through his mind.

His eyes widened. True, he wasn't, but only because he made sure Hidan didn't.

"And that's bad?"

Sakura cocked her head to the side, "Well…no…"

"Then what's wrong?"

"Hidan nii san isn't Hidan nii san if he doesn't curse."

This took Kakuzu by surprise. His eyes widened, "So you'd rather have him curse? You know Itachi and the others don't want you cursing."

Sakura looked up at Kakuzu, "Just because he curses, doesn't mean I have to, ne?"

_Ah, so this girl had logic. Maybe…_

"Well yes…but what if you pick it up?"

She snorted, "I can control myself." She gave him a sly grin.

_This girl…maybe she wasn't as fragile as I thought…?_

She shifted for a more comfortable position for Kakuzu and herself, "ne, Kakuzu nii san…when are the other nii san-tachi coming home?"

"Soon…" was all he replied. He couldn't answer a direct answer. Missions could take days, even months with no end. Sometimes missions meant for a few hours turn into months because of some unwanted factors. When it came to the shinobi world, nothing was for certain.

Sakura resorted to looking back at Hidan. The day was passing by slowly; it was too slowly for her taste. Oh how she wished time would pass faster.

Kakuzu nii san and Hidan nii san were definitely good company now, but something just felt different. Something just seemed so…different. She just couldn't quite put a finger on it. They seemed…_nicer_. It was odd because she expected them to be the worst.

"Hidan," Kakuzu called his partner who had just finished slicing all of the dummies.

"What the he- Ah what is it?" His hands curled into fists trying his best to keep from cursing. _What the hell do you want?_

"You can curse…" Kakuzu took a sip from the glass.

"Eh??? What're you talking about?" He couldn't believe his ears. _Is that damned idiot playing with me?? Maybe he's testing me._

"Sakura said you could curse." He made it so he could understand better.

Silence.

Hidan, for a few seconds, stood there taking in the information before it processed into his mind. He. Could. Curse. He could curse!

"OH HELL YEAH!! I can fucking swear!!" He threw a fist in the air, "You fucking see that? Ha! I can fucking curse!! Fuck fuck fuck…" and he continued drabbling about the 'f' word.

Kakuzu sighed smacking his forehead with his free hand.

Sakura sat there, one brow inclining downwards and an awkward smile on her face. She found herself regretting what she had done and felt like taking it back. But it was too late now.

She smiled to herself thinking Hidan nii san was happier now.

Hidan walked up to the girl, "Hey li'l bitch!" She blinked, what did he just call her?

"Li'l bitch, thanks a lot! It's one hell of a breather for me." He grinned while she could only stare in shock. "What?"

"Don't push it Hidan…" The tendril immortal gulped down the remains of the juice.

"Erm…" He felt awkward for what he was about to do, "Sakura…"

Sakura looked up at Kakuzu, "Yes Kakuzu nii san?"

_She's so adorable. Snap out of it, you're in your 80's. She's 7 decades younger. _"Ugh, could I have another glass?"

"And waste money?" Sakura arched a brow.

"Ah that's right…well…I guess…I can" he coughed, "…increase the budget a bit,"

Sakura gaped at Kakuzu before a sudden outburst, "Kakuzu nii san you hypocrite!!"

Kakuzu stared dumbfounded. It was true though; he was a hypocrite. And he was so thankful his skin was dead. If it weren't, he probably would've blushed in embarrassment.

Sakura slid off his lap, "But—fine, I'll make you two some more juice…" She smirked at Kakuzu. So he'd happily increase the budget if it were for his own benefit?? A selfish scrooge indeed.

Hidan suddenly let out a roar of laughter, "Did you fucking see your face? Fucking awesome…"

Kakuzu glared daggers at Hidan for his comment.

* * *

Figures were dashing through the forest accompanied by the rustling of leaves and the soft 'tsk' of their feet when they stepped on a branch.

"How far is it?" A first one called out. He was positioned at the farthest end of the line.

"We're close…" A second voice answered. The voice was second in line.

"What were the Hokage's orders?" A third voice butt in.

A fourth spoke, "Eliminate the Akatsuki."

* * *

"Ne, Sasori Danna…" Deidara had been trying to catch the attention of the puppet master. He'd been ignoring him. Sure he _accidentally_ blew up one side of his puppet, but it wasn't worth the cold treatment he was giving him now…right? Right???

Sasori twitched. Their mission was to infiltrate the base in mist, steal an artifact and bring it to the external base where Zetsu would collect and deliver it to leader sama. He and the annoying blond would distract the mist-nins while Kisame and Itachi went off to retrieve it.

Kisame had been grinning the entire time Deidara was calling to Sasori. _He seems pissed_ He'd been wondering why the puppet master had been ignoring Deidara. Then he spied the burn marks on the side of the puppet. _Oh…that's why._

"Ne…SASORI DANNA!" Deidara had enough.

"What the hell do you want?!" Sasori snapped at Deidara flicking his tail; he was itching to drive it through him.

"My art is better than yours," Deidara tried to hit a nerve. He always enjoyed the artistic arguments.

Sasori twitched before he turned around and continued walking.

It was un-Sasori-like. Usually, Sasori Danna would've snapped back saying art was eternal instead of his once-in-a-moment art. "Why are you ignoring me???" He demanded to know.

Oh that was the last straw. Sasori turned his eyes burning (which was weird because it was a puppet), "You brat! You burned half of my puppet! Do you know how long it would take before I renewed the wood??" His tail launched in the air and headed straight to Deidara who shoved a hand inside his pouch.

Before Deidara could send an exploding bird and Sasori's poison-coated tail could strike, a blue streak got between the two.

Kisame was shouldering Samehada. He grabbed on to Sasori's tail while his Samehada sucked in the explosion. "No fighting now…"

"Get out Kisame! This is between me and Sasori danna!"

"Deidara. Sasori." The two turned to the monotonous voice. And despite it's dullness, it held a demanding tone to it.

The two glared at each other before they turned away.

_Seriously, why had these two become partners in the first place? What was leader sama thinking??_ Kisame thought watching the two.

* * *

Once again, the sun had gone down and left the moon in its place. Sakura sat in the living room couch. She was wearing a pair of pink pajamas adorned with light-pink cherry blossoms.

On her head, she wore a maroon cloth that she used as a headband. She always wore the headband and only took it off when she was going to take a bath. Deidara was the first that asked about it.

_Deidara asked her why she always wore the thing. It was so overused that there were several stitches sticking out. He wanted to get rid of it, obviously. _

_A blushing Sakura touched the headband before giving the blond a smile, "Itachi nii san gave it to me…" _

_The blond twitched. _What was it with her and Itachi? So what, if Itachi brought her her? Oh right, she wouldn't have been there in first place if it wasn't for him, but still…It was always Itachi nii san this and Itachi nii san that. What was so great about him anyway?? Deidara was a hundred times better than the Uchiha.

_"Why, yeah?" was all he managed to say despite the overflowing envy-coated words that bubbled inside him._

_"Because I was complaining about my forehead. He said my forehead was alright and gave me this when were on the way here." _

_Deidara gave a small frown before he said, "I see…you really like Itachi, yeah?"_

_Sakura blushed a darker shade of red, "Ah n-not th-that way…" she avoided eye contact with Deidara whose hands wanted to hit Itachi but resisted the urge to._

_He patted the top of her head as a sign of defeat, "Hey, you want to make sculptures, yeah?"_

_Her blush faded away and her snowy skin returned, "un!" _

Hidan stepped out of the bathroom. His Jashin necklace pressed against his chest, sticking through the water. Droplets dripped casually down his bare torso. His grayish maroon hair matted on his face. He sat down next to the girl and glanced at her. She was a vision of pink—literally. He grinned to himself.

"Oi li'l bitch, shouldn't you be sleeping?" It was late, near midnight.

Sakura rubbed her right eye trying to keep the sleepiness at bay. She drowsily nodded her head. "But, what if they come home?"

The question made Hidan scowl. She did this every night, wasn't she tired? Couldn't she just give up? He rubbed the back of his damp head and sighed. "I don't think they would arrive tonight…"

Sakura's usually bright green orbs were dulled. They weren't pale; they were just…darker. She yawned. "Alright li'l bitch, that's the cue for you to sleep."

She shook her head, but Hidan knew she was just pushing it. Her neck craned a bit downward, her head dropping a bit, and her eyelids were aching to stay open.

He picked her up, despite her resistance, and carried her up to her room. "If Itachi comes back, he'll head to your room won't he?" He assured her knowing that it was Itachi she anticipated to see. Hidan draped the sheets around her and tucked her in bed. He mentally kicked himself. He never imagined himself to be tucking-in a small girl.

He stood there waiting for the girl to drift to sleep, but she didn't. She just stared at the window, still waiting and wishing for a sign that they would return.

"Still can't sleep?"

She glanced at him, but didn't speak. It wasn't that she couldn't, it was that she didn't want to.

Again, Hidan mentally kicked himself for what he was about to do, "How about I read you a story or somethin'?"

Sakura stared at the man that stood at the foot of her bed. _Who was he and what did he do to Hidan nii san? _

"What?" he groaned sitting next to her, the black sheets crumpling to shape around him.

Sakura could tell he meant what he said and gave a slow but unsure nod.

He looked up at the ceiling trying to figure out what story to tell her. He could tell her about Jashin and the sacrifices people made for him—and he defined sacrifices as killing other people for the love of chaos and destruction—but that would've given her nightmares. So Jashin was out of the list. Then again, she was ten. She could handle it right? _But the others would have my head if I did._

He peered around the room for some sort of inspiration. That's when something caught his eye. It was a small glass figure that was situated at the top of Itachi's dresser, a glass sculpture of a maiden.

He remembered a story he overheard in an inn a few missions ago. He was sitting _peacefully_ when a child ran up to her grandmother. The kid was loudly annoying and he was tempted to sacrfice her to Jashin. But, Jashin smite him, now he was glad he didn't and chose to listen to the story.

Hidan cleared his throat and proceeded to tell the story while Sakura curiously eyed him. She imagined a story filled with swears and curses, but Hidan nii san was full of surprises.

_"Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was beautiful—a vision of purity. Her hair was a silky silver color and her eyes a near-white gray. Her skin was as white as the snow-shaded dress she wore. In truth, she would have looked like a white snow goddess if it weren't for her lips. Her lips were the only trace of color in her, for they were a cherry red. And because of her beauty, she was called the "White Princess"._

_She was absolutely perfect in the eyes of everyone. She turned gold against the sun's rays and sparkled in silver under the moonlight. Any man who laid eyes on her fell hopelessly in love with her beauty._

_She lived far from the villages, in a hut near a crystal river. On one side, where she lived, there was a vast expanse of white roses. There, she would pick and tend to them. On the other side, was a field of black roses and farther away was a dark forest. It was the exact contrast to where she was. Where hers had an enchanted forest, that place had a dark evil one. She was always scared and never ventured to it—no matter how curious she was. _

_One day, as she was tending to her white roses, a man appeared. He as opposite to her as the forests on both ends were.. He had black hair, onyx black eyes, was dark-skinned, and wore a robe of black. He had come to pick black roses from the opposite side of the river that ran across the two gardens. He was the "Black Prince"._

_Everyday, she would tend to her white roses, and everyday, he would sit on the other side tending to the black roses. Time passed and they found themselves falling in love with each other until they could bear it no longer. _

_They decided to cross the river. But, just as their hands were an inch apart, there was a flash of light. They were pushed away and was blinded by the light. When the light faded, in the middle of the river stood a fairy. From head to toe, she was a monochrome color. _

_She introduced herself as the Gray Fairy and told them that they could never be together because they were too different. He was a creature of the shadow, and she of the light. So long as the river existed, the gray fairy existed, and so long as she existed, they could never be together. And just as she appeared, she was gone. _

_The white princess cried for days and days, for her soul was fragile and broken. The black prince felt useless. How could one dry up a river? He was only a few feet apart and could not do anything._

_In desperation, the black prince pleaded to the moon. He begged for some way that they could be together. The moon, however, gave no reply. The days passed and the princess had yet to cease her sobbing. And the black prince still could not do anything to ease her sorrow. _

_One evening, as the black prince prayed to the moon and the white princess was weeping, a small piece of star fell from the sky. It landed in the crystal river that prevented them from being with one another. And in a few seconds, the piece of star dissolved into the river, drying it up in the process. _

_The white princess, stopping her cries, saw that the river was gone and there was no boundary keeping them together._

_In her joy, the prince and the princess ran towards each other. But, as they touched, the white princess's hands began to burn with a black flame. The black prince panicked and held the white princess burning her more. She screamed in pain as the fires engulfed her. The princess, despite her pain smiled at the black prince and held him. As she did, the prince found himself to be burning himself, but of a white fire. _

_The fires crackled, burning and engulfing the two. When the fire stopped and the smoke cleared, two figures were seen in embrace. The white princess and the black prince had turned into stone. But, in their faces, there was an expression of happiness and satisfaction. _

_Slowly, dark clouds began forming in the sky and tiny droplets of water began falling. The crystal river that had dried was reviving. From the river, the gray fairy appeared and shook her head. They did not heed her warning._

_The river crashed at the stone figures, cracking them a bit. She felt pity for the two and decided to at least make them eternal. It would make a good resting place—a sign for eternal love that could not be broken. _

_The gray fairy cried. Her tears landed on the stone figures, and as it did, they began to sparkle. The tears slowly fell from their head to their toes leaving a trail of flame-like sparkles behind them. She kept crying until the two were engulfed in sparkles and glows. When the glow faded, in their place was a glass figure of the two. They were still in embrace, but their features were smoother._

_The gray fairy smiled and disappeared muttering the words, "As pure as each other's hearts, as eternal as their love, as beautiful as they were, but as fragile as their souls…"_

_And from that day on, the glass figures stood in the center of the river. It reminded passersby of true everlasting love and the sacrifices the two had made for their love. And on certain nights, when the moon was shining, if one would look hard enough, one could see the faint sparkle of a black and white flame dancing inside the two figures, merging, separating, and entwining."_

* * *

Hidan turned to the girl who was staring at him. Shouldn't she have fallen asleep? He groaned and smoothed the tangles in her hair.

Sakura couldn't believe what she had heard. Yes, it was a heart-warming story and it was a good bedtime story, except for one thing. It was Hidan nii san that told her the story. She stared at him for a few more minutes before she turned away.

Hidan was grateful she did. He didn't like her staring. _Didn't anyone tell this li'l bitch it's rude to stare? _He scratched the back of his head unsure of what to do now, a tad bit disappointed that was unsuccessful in putting her to sleep. _I fucking told Kakuzu that I wasn't good at this stuff…damn him._

"It was…a good story, Hidan nii san…"

"Really?"

"Un."

"Glad you liked it."

"But it was sort of sad."

"They ended up together, didn't they?"

"Yes…I want to find love like that…" She sighed dreamily.

_Girls and their lovelives…_"No shit. Now you better fucking get some sleep."

Silence followed. Hidan nii san was really acting weird, one moment he was nice next he was cursing. Did he have bi-polar problems? She shrugged it off and lay on her side. "Good night Hidan nii san," She said before turning her head a bit to flash a smile.

"Yeah fucking good night li'l bitch." She gave a small smile.

She felt Hidan get off the bed and after a few moments, the door creaked open then closed.

So she was alone in the room.

Sakura sighed and lifted her hand and felt the top of the side table. When her fingertips touched what she was looking for, she lifted the lid. Soft music began filling the room. It started in a slow whisper then to a soothing melody that seemed to wrap around her small body. It was just what Sakura needed. In a few moments, she was asleep.

* * *

The clock chimed. 1 am. Damn.

Hidan was sprawled on the couch. His eyes were shut and his arm folded beneath his head to support it. His other hand held his scythe incase of an attack.

Kakuzu walked in the living room and sat on the recliner. They found themselves in the same situation they were in a few days ago. Hidan was relaxing on the couch cursing and Kakuzu on the recliner counting money.

"Were you successful in putting Sakura to sleep?"

"Yeah," he said before giving a yawn.

"You look exhausted, go get some sleep."

"And you?"

He gave no answer and simply flicked more bundles of money. He shoved several coins on one side of the table. _Counting money._

Hidan glared at his partner before he surrendered to his needs. His eyelids fell and was on his way to sleeping when he felt something. His shot up and tightened his grip on his scythe.

He turned to Kakuzu to say something, but he was already up and putting his cloak on.

So it wasn't just him.

Hidan smirked, "Heh, looks like I won't be sleeping tonight."

Kakuzu sighed as Hidan grabbed his cloak, placed it on and muttered something to him self. _Probably a prayer to Jashin_.

The pair headed out the door and stood on the porch waiting.

"How many? I've been fucking itching to sacrifice."

"About four." Kakuzu said casually scouting the area around. "They'll arrive in a while."

Hidan grimaced and shouldered his scythe, "Let the sacrificing begin."

* * *

Deidara, Sasori, Kisame and Itachi sat in a circle around a small campfire. They decided to camp for the night and continue to the base at dawn.

Sasori felt it was safe to come out of his puppet. He sat next to Deidara carving a piece of wood. His partner was oddly quiet. His jaw would usually—should be—yapping non-stop then Sasori would wish it would just fall off. But, he wasn't yapping his mouth off. He was quiet.

He glanced at the blonde who stared into the fire. There could only be one reason as to why he was so unusually silent. He must've been thinking about Sakura.

Sasori peered at his other company. Kisame held the jug Sakura had given him, taking small sips of the sake that filled it. Itachi, on the other hand, was just staring into the fire like Deidara. Sasori sighed. They were all probably worried.

When leader sent them on missions, it was usually in pairs. When Kisame and Itachi would go, he and Deidara would be there. It would be reversed if they were the ones on mission. It rarely happened that both pairs were sent on a mission. It had only happened once before, and they regretted leaving Sakura with the immortal pair.

Sasori was sure they would've learned their lesson by now. But still, would everything be fine when they came back? Why was he worried anyway? Sakura was just another girl. She wasn't special. Or so he kept telling himself.

He had to admit, whether they liked it or not, the cherry blossom had found a way to enter their hearts and settle inside it. Sasori found this very ironic because he was a puppet. He wasn't supposed to have a heart. He figured it was probably just the side effect of remembering how it felt to have a heart.

His red hair glowed orange with the fire's radiance a few embers shooting out once in a while. He stole a look at the other three and decided that they were all thinking the same thing. He sighed and continued carving the piece of wood.

* * *

"A house?"

"This must be the place."

"I feel two strong chakra signatures!"

"On the porch. They're just…waiting. …For us???"

Hidan gave a boisterous laugh, "Took you guys long enough." He swung his scythe, showing off the sharp hinges of the blades.

Kakuzu was silent, studying the four figures that had arrived. They had a good amount of chakra. They'd probably have one hell of a night.

He studied the figures that stood a good distance away from them. Two of them had dark brown hair. There was nothing interesting about them. His gaze fell on the other two.

He first scrutinized the blue haired one. The blue-ness of his hair was a soft shade, a cross between pastel blue and deep blue. He had several bottles that hung on his belt. Clear liquid swooshed inside of it. Kakuzu guessed it was water. _So this one used water techniques?_ His eyes moved up to his ninja headband that was wrapped on his forehead. _Konoha nin?_

Kakuzu stared at the last member of the group. The blond. But it wasn't the kind of blond like Deidara. It was almost a pale blond. The tips of his hair were an almost white. His eyes narrowed sensing a foreboding amount of chakra inside of him.

"Oy, stop staring at them and let's get to the killing!" Hidan's eyes were filled with blood lust.

"Now, let's not get too hast-"

"I agree." The blond spoke. It was the first time he spoke. His voice was low and deep. Almost like the rumbling of-

His thoughts were cut when something shot at him. He cocked his head to the side to avoid it. Kakuzu turned. The thing that shot at him was water shaped into a rope by chakra.

His eyes turned to the blue haired boy who was smirking at him, "nice reflexes."

Kakuzu's green eyes narrowed venomously. "Hasty my ass."

* * *

Itachi, Deidara and Sasori turned to Kisame. The pink jug that Sakura gave to him had shattered and sake poured into the fire dousing it.

Kisame went into a flight of panic as he picked up the ceramic pieces.

Sasori eyed Kisame before he glanced at the wooden chopsticks that Sakura gave him. He picked it up only to have them crack in his hands. _Was it that poorly made?_

Deidara shot a worried look at the two before he dug into his pack to pull out Sakura's clay cherry blossom. He inspected it to make sure it was fine. Seeing as it was intact, he walked back only to trip. The cherry blossom shattered into a million pieces mingling with the wooden shards and the ceramic pieces. Blue eyes widened in shock.

Itachi's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. _What was happening?_ _This was too much for it to be a coincidence_. His hand dug into his pocket and pulled out the small pink bottle. It was fine. He held it close protecting it.

Kisame stared at Sakura's gifts—or what was left of them. He eyed Itachi. Why was his gift the only one that didn't break? But he spoke too soon. Without warning, a crack appeared on the bottle and the medicine inside started dripping down.

The four exchanged looks before nodding. Something was definitely wrong. They gathered their packs, leaving the broken gifts, and dashed away.

Did something happen to Sakura?

* * *

Sakura stirred in her sleep. Loud noises erupted from outside. "What was happening?" She sat up, rubbing her eye lazily when there was a loud bang.

She was fully awake. She slipped out of bed and raced down the stairs then headed for the door. Hesitant, she reached for the doorknob and twisted it. The door swung open with a strong gush of wind.

Sakura froze in her place, staring wide-eyed at the scene laid before her.

Hidan nii san had lost an arm and was bleeding heavily, but his face…he was smiling??? He was in his skeletal form, a form she had only heard about.

She turned to her left and saw two dead bodies. Both had brown hair, which covered their faces. She was glad it did because blood was pooling around them. Though the way it was spilled, it was almost as if the blood was circled around them. Upon closer inspection, she saw strange markings around them. _What happened to them?_

She winced as a flash of blue and yellow zipped past her.

Hidan gave a battle cry before lunging in the air. Kakuzu was nowhere to be seen. The blonde too had disappeared. Her eyes scanned the area for a sign of Kakuzu nii san but found no trace of him. That was when she heard his voice call out to Hidan.

Hidan didn't hear him. He drove his scythe slicing the blue haired man. He wailed in pain before he shattered into droplets of water. Hidan groaned. _A water clone. _

Sakura watched as the blue haired man appeared behind him again and sliced through him again. _Another water clone?_ She glanced at Hidan nii san. He was probably cursing in his head.

For a few minutes, Hidan kept swinging his scythe around to no avail. They were all water clones. Sakura's eyes had been looking for the real one. Her gaze fell on the bushes that were a few feet from Hidan. She caught a glimpse of blue before it disappeared. _I can't see him clearly. _She groaned feeling utterly useless.

The blue haired man appeared just behind Hidan and Sakura was sure that it was the real thing. She was about to scream when she heard a battle cry that held a familiar voice.

That's when she saw Kakuzu nii san charging. His arms had spread and tendrils were arched waving around and ready to strike. His tendrils shot and pierced the blue haired man.

He disappeared and appeared behind Kakuzu nii san, but he was ready. One of Kakuzu nii san's faces shot a blast and a huge whole was formed in the blue haired man's stomach.

Kakuzu nii san launched another blast at the blond who dissipated as quickly as he appeared. The battle must've been long. Sakura knew her two nii sans were strong and it would take a lot of force to bring down either one. But there they were, tired and almost out of chakra. The enemy must've been strong.

Kakuzu nii san panted. His tendrils were trying to sew themselves together and Hidan was cursing at Kakuzu for interfering.

She held her chest. Her heart was beating fast and did quick breaths to slow her heart. But it started beating fast again when she saw a few sparks on the ground.

A rumbling noise.

She looked up and saw a blond haired man. He was badly wounded and Sakura figured he was low on chakra. But there was a glint of desperation in his hazel eyes.

Another rumbling noise, more sparks on the ground.

Then she realized something. She turned to the immortal pair and her fears had been realized. They were standing on a pool of water! Perhaps the blue-eyed man intended to use water clones to dampen the area.

Sparks meant electricity. Water conducted electricity. This was not good. Sakura trembled. She was scared. But, if she didn't do anything, something would happen to her two nii sans.

She summoned all her courage and ran towards Kakuzu and Hidan in an attempt for her voice to reach them. She screamed, "Nii san! Watch out!!"

A loud rumbling noise was heard, and a booming voice from above. "This isn't over, not yet!"

Kakuzu saw Sakura coming. His body was aching as he threw a tendril in an effort to push her away.

A loud crashing sound. A bright flash of white. And two voices that merged to call out one name, "SAKURA!!"

* * *

**--Woot! My first cliffy. xD If it was a cliffy o-o; So that was a pretty long chapter. I was tempted to cut it in two, then I decided: what the hell. There are people who write more than this for every chapter. You didn't really think that this was an all fluff story did you? :D hehe**

**--The next chapter might come out a tad bit later than usual. xD **

**--Ah and I just want to note that Sakura does not know their last names. She just knows them by their first names. So she doesn't know Itachi is an Uchiha. Also, she has no clue on their ninja abilities. **

**--Till next time, what happened to Sakura? Did she survive? What will Itachi and the others come home to? :D Find out next time on Tabula Rasa! xD**

**--Madam Obscurum, ****"Only when it is dark can you see the stars."**


	5. Chapter 4: Our Fallen Angel

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, haven't we established that? =_=**

**-Thank you for the reviews! It was enjoyable to read through them. You guys are amazing. I'm so flattered, when I was reading I inwardly blushed :D 3**

**-Rating changed from T to M for explicit language (and there'll be suggestive scenes further on, but no lemon, I'm not good with that but if you want any….)**

**-Yeah what I said last time, she doesn't know the last names of the Akatsuki or their evil reputation. She does know that they are ninja and know their abilities. Sorry, just needed to clear that up.**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 4**

**~Our Fallen Angel~**

_Faster. Just a little bit more. We're almost there. Just hold on Sakura. _

**XxxxxxX**

Four Akatsuki, a blond, a red head, a blue-haired one, and one with jet-black hair, rushed through the trees.

"Do you think something happened, yeah?"

"Don't ask me. Isn't that why we're all rushing back to base?"

"But-"

"Deidara." Deidara winced at the sound of Itachi's scolding voice. Deidara wanted to hit him, but the matter at hand was more urgent. So he resorted giving him a glare. Of course, the Uchiha was unfazed.

Kisame stole a glance at Itachi. He was probably just as worried as them. No, he was probably panicking inside. Itachi, Panic? He never panicked.

Although Kisame shook his thoughts away thinking it was absurd, he was unaware of how right he was. Itachi _was_ in a state of panic. His emotions battled inside of him despite his calm façade.

They were close, just a bit more and they'd be back home—if it still was a home. Sakura was the only thing that made them think that base was 'home'_. _

_Sakura…you better be okay, yeah._

"I see the base." Sasori interjected through the silence.

The four came to halt and took in the sight that lay before them.

Blood—lots of it. The grass was scorched and so was the porch area of the house.

"What…happened…?" Deidara spoke with trembling lips.

"Where the hell is Hidan and Kakuzu?" A furious Kisame said shouldering his Samehada. He moved towards the house and inspected the porch. The wood, the flowers, the cement, they were burned. _Fire?_

Sasori eyes roamed taking in everything that he saw. That's when he spied an area that had uneven scorch marks. "There was something—or someone—here."

"Or what's left of them, un" Deidara stood next to Sasori. "I don't think it's Hidan or Kakuzu, yeah." He noticed the faint maroon circle that settled into the grass. _Hidan must've sacrificed someone._

"Oy! I found Hidan's arm." Kisame gave a small grin. _So there was still hope that they were safe. _

_**XxxxxxX**_

Itachi didn't care for the two immortals. He never liked them anyway. He was the first to enter the house and found everything intact. The interior of the base was untouched and looked exactly as it had been when they left. He turned towards the stairs. If a battle ensued, then Sakura must've hid upstairs.

He raced up the flight of stairs and entered his room. Empty.

Itachi activated his Sharingan and looked around the room. There really was nothing. No chakra signature, no genjutsu, absolutely nothing.

He went through each room and found the same scene over and over again. Sakura was nowhere to be found.

He searched the entire household—opened cabinets, looked under the beds, flipped the couch—and found no Sakura.

Itachi stepped outside to join the others. His eyes surveyed the aftermath of destruction.

_Where are you Sakura?_

Then a breeze gently touched Itachi. It pressed gently on his skin and circled his hands. Itachi's cold eyes wanted to water, but he wouldn't let them.

_I am a shinobi. I am Akatsuki. Emotions are not for me._

A single look—That's all it took before Itachi found himself frozen. His eyes latched onto the edge of the porch stairs. He crouched and took the object with trembling hands.

**XxxxxxX**

"I found Kakuzu, un!" Deidara yelled.

Kakuzu was sprawled on the edge of the training ground. Before him lay a trail. As if something was pushed hard and dragged. Deidara assumed he was thrown back with incredible force before he was knocked out. _An explosion?_ It was possible because Kakuzu was slightly burned.

"I found more of Hidan." Sasori was calm. It was to be expected since he was a puppet; he felt no emotions. Holding Hidan's upper half and his right leg, he joined his partner and dropped the parts.

Kisame jumped down next to them, "I found the rest of 'im" The shark-man lay Hidan's head, lower half, left leg and arms into a pile with the rest of him.

"What do you think happened?" Kisame placed his sword down.

"A fight obviously happened," Sasori stated the obvious, "The technique used must've caused some big explosion."

They heard a soft 'tk' and turned to see Itachi. "Itachi did you find Sakura?"

Itachi's eyes were hard. They grew colder at the mention of her name.

Deidara shook at the possibility of Sakura's well-being, "So- So Y-you didn't f-find…yeah?"

To answer them, Itachi extended his fist and slowly flexed his fingers.

A scorched blood stained maroon cloth-band.

Deidara recognized it first. He fell to his knees and tears started forming in his eyes. "S-Sakura chan…!"

Kisame inspected the fabric and frowned. It was the headband the girl wore all the time. "So…squirt…she's…?"

Itachi was silent. His demeanor was cold. It was as if his whole being was encased in ice.

_Sakura was dead._ _He couldn't save her. _

_**XxxxxxX**_

"Ah what the fuck-"

Hidan stirred. His eyes opened and he let out a string of curses realizing his state.

Kakuzu's brows furrowed before his eyes shot open, "Ah Sa-"

He stopped to hear Hidan's curses. He turned to him and saw his parts piled up. _What happened?_

"You're both up then, yeah?"

Kakuzu saw the other four Akatsuki members sitting near them. "Wh-"

He felt a chill in his spine when he spied Itachi's cold glare. His eyes shifted left and right. Something was wrong; someone was missing. Where was Sakura?

He bolted up. His tendrils entwined and reattached themselves. "Where's Sakura?"

Four pairs of eyes lit up, "You mean…you don't know, yeah?"

Kakuzu glanced at Hidan who was putting himself back together. "The last I saw Sakura…" he held his head trying to remember. Then it came back to him.

_Just when he realized the enemy was above them, he heard a scream. He realized they were standing in a pool of water and sparks were flicking out like traveling eels. The sparks dipped up and down before it licked the edges of their toes. _

_He turned towards the origin of the scream and saw Sakura running towards them. "No! Don't come!" he yelled and shot a tendril at her in the effort to push her away._

_A booming voice was heard from above, "Ultimate no Jutsu: Lightning Apocalypse!"_

_Then everything went white. He screamed. "SAKURA!"_

_He felt his body burn and sizzle as a huge lightning bolt came down on he and Hidan. The next thing he knew, he was thrown away and heading past the training grounds. He smashed through several trees before his body finally slumped down. _

_He took a quick glance and saw Hidan explode into pieces and Sakura's limp body on the ground. "Sa…ku…ra…" was all he managed to say before everything went black._

"NO! Sakura!" His breathing went harsh and he collapsed to the ground on his knees. "I'm sorry…I tried to save her…but…"

Hidan stood. His body had been placed together. He craned his neck to the left then to the right in an attempt to pop the bones back in place. He gathered his Scythe and shouldered it on his shoulder as he often did.

"Fuck." His expression was regretful. He was fuming. He allowed his bloodlust get the better of him. If he hadn't been so dead-set on killing and sacrificing then maybe he could've saved her.

_Hold on_, he was having thoughts of keeping someone alive. What was wrong with him?

The six mourned in silence for their loss. The wind didn't pass, the grass—too burnt to sway—didn't move, and the sky was covered with nimbus clouds. It seemed that nature was mourning with them. And somehow, it felt solicitous knowing that who they were mourning for was worth nature's attention.

Deidara turned to Hidan, "Who attacked, yeah?"

Hidan shifted his gaze to his partner, "Konoha nin." His partner said in-between sighs.

Itachi's eyes lit. Konoha nin? Konoha? That damned place. So they had followed him even as he had left it.

Kisame noticed his partner's fingers curl into a fist.

"Damnit! Those damn Konoha nin are going to pay! Sakura should be avenged I'm going to-"

"Deidara." He winced at the mention of his name. He at first thought it was Itachi scolding him once more, but he was wrong. It was his partner this time. Sasori had called his attention.

Sasori was looking at the others. He seemed to be the most unaffected of all. But he had to admit, his wooden chest felt slightly heavy. He made note to repair himself later.

His lips parted to speak, "Did you forget who we are?" This was directed to all of them.

Hidan was the first to respond, "of course we fucking do! I'm Hidan! Jashin follower and-"

Kakuzu groaned, "Shut up Hidan."

Sasori ignored Hidan and continued, "We are Akatsuki. Our main goal is to dominate the world. We follow our leader for our own purposes. Moreover, we are shinobi and therefore death is something inevitable."

Deidara stiffened at the mention of 'death'. That's right, they were Akatsuki—A deadly organization that killed people for a living. Sakura wouldn't—couldn't survive in a place like that. She was too pure, too good. She was…their angel.

Memories flooded through all of them and all of them contained the cherry blossom.

**XxxxxxX**

"_Deidara nii chan!" a nine-year-old Sakura ran to him and grabbed onto his arm. "Why're you alone?" They stood on the roof of the main base. Deidara had been leaning on the railings when the pinkette ran called out to him._

_Deidara looked at the green-eyed girl. "Hey Sakura, yeah." He looked down at his arm and felt a sting, "Er…my arm still hurts, un" _

_Sakura let go and scrutinized his arm. It was bandaged up like some other parts of his body. _

_Deidara nii chan was a new member. A month after Sakura came to the base, Deidara was brought one morning by Itachi nii san. Sakura was the one who nursed his wounds and was his first friend in the base. _

"_Deidara nii chan, how come you're not with the others?" She pointed to the group of people sitting in the living room. They were in the main base in the rain country. It was raining. It always rained there, but no one really minded it._

"_Er, I just don't like them that much, yeah."_

"_Why not? They're real nice!" _

"_Nice?" His blue eyes narrowed, "How could they be nice?" _

"_Eh? They're kind, helpful, and they're nice!" She chirped._

"_Oh, yeah?" She nodded in response. "Give me one time where Itachi was nice, un?"_

_Her hands went behind her back and she swayed side to side a small blush coming to her face. _

"_Well?" _

"_Just one?" _

"_Just one, yeah" _Was there more than one?

"_Well…It was Itachi nii san that brought me here…he saved me and pulled me away after-"_

"_After?"_

"_Ah nothing. He just…brought me here." _She was definitely hiding something.

"_And that's good?"_

"_Un. I met nice people." There it was again. Nice. _How the hell were deadly Akatsuki members nice?

"_Listen kid, do you even know who you're dealing with? You've been living with the aka-" _

"_Deidara" He winced at the mention of his own name. It was Itachi who had called him and cut off his words._

"_Itachi nii san!" Sakura ran towards the onyx-eyed man and latched on to his waist. A faint smile drifted and disappeared on Itachi's face. Deidara shrugged it off thinking it was just a trick of the light._

"_Sakura, I need to talk to Deidara. Go inside the house." _So he was capable of sentences? When they had fought all he said were 'hns', 'hms' and 'hmphs'. _Deidara thought he was some kind of mute or had his own grunt language._

_Sakura complied and ran towards the house, stopping briefly to nod at leader sama and his partner before entering._

"_Deidara." _Again with the monotonous demanding voice.

"_What do you want, yeah?"_

"_Do _not _mention what we are to Sakura."_

"_Eh? What do you mean, yeah?"_

"_That we are Akatsuki. Do not tell her who we are and what we do."_

"_What, is she a spy, yeah?"_

"_No." _

"_Then why do we have to keep it from her, yeah?"_

"_That does not concern you."_

_Deidara's eye twitched. What was with this guy? He was acting all damn cocky._

"_Hmph, fine yeah." Then Itachi disappeared._

_**XxxxxxX**_

It was only later that Deidara understood why Itachi had ordered him to hide it from her.

**XxxxxxX**

_It was on a clear sunny noon when an explosion was heard. In the training grounds of the Akatsuki base was the blond terrorist: Deidara. He'd been there since dawn and had been training ever since._

_A Kisame with a hangover stepped out of the base and yelled at the blue-eyed blonde, "Oy! Would you keep it down!" His head was throbbing and the explosions didn't help._

_Deidara pretended not to hear and continued molding and sending clay out. _

"_Kisame nii kun?" The shark man turned and faced Sakura. She was wearing a white apron decorated with pink cherry blossoms. Konan had given her a huge amount of wardrobe themed "spring". The apron was just a piece of the collection._

_Kisame grinned, "Mornin' squirt-neko." Then he felt a throbbing pain again. He pressed his head trying to ease the pain a bit. _

_Sakura shook her head then frowned at Kisame, "I told you not to drink."_

"_Ah don't nag me now squirt." _

_Boom!_

_Sakura peered into the training grounds, "Deidara nii chan is training again?"_

_Kisame nodded and walked inside with his hands on his ears. _

_Sakura watched kisame leave before she sat on the porch watching the blond. She'd been up since 7 cleaning the house and washing clothes. No one in the house, besides Konan okaa san, knew how to keep things in order. Even Pain otou sama was sometimes unorganized. But it was a good thing Konan okaa sama was his partner. That was one more room scratched off the cleaning list. _

Speaking of rooms, _she remembered_, I have to clean Zetsu nii san's room. _She stood and went away to clean the rest of the rooms._

_Hours passed and the sky was deep orange with blots of purple. Sakura, broom in hand, walked outside and headed towards the training grounds. Every time someone trained, there would always be something to clean._

_As she passed the gates that marked the training grounds, she saw a lump curled on the far end of the field._ Deidara nii chan?

_She crept closer only to see that it was Deidara. He was on his knees panting and low on chakra. Sweat fell and dripped on the ground. His hand, the one that was injured when he came into the base, was trembling from exhaustion. He had a few bruises as well._

_Without a second thought, Sakura quickly ran inside the base and headed to Itachi's room. _

_Itachi was sitting on his bed reading a book when a rushing Sakura burst into his room. _

_He lowered his book and raised a brow._ What was she up to? _He watched her take something from the drawer and run back outside._

_Deidara was on the field. He dug his injured arm into his pouch and molded the clay inside it. _Just one more…

_Sakura slid the door and was dashing towards the field. As she drew near Deidara, he sent out an exploding bird in her direction unaware of her presence. _

_It was a good thing Sakura had good dodging reflexes. She avoided it in time, but forgot about it exploding. She let out a squeal a she was thrown back by the blast. _

_Deidara's eyes widened and he quickly rushed to the fallen girl. "Sakura chan? Sakura chan yeah?"_

_Sakura sat up shaking the dizziness of the fall away. She groaned._

"_What were you doing, yeah?" He was furious, "You could've gotten killed!"_

_Sakura held out the bandages in her hands, "You were hurt…"_

_Deidara's face turned red with anger, "I was hurt? Well what're you then, yeah?"_

_Sakura blinked at Deidara. He was red with anger. He was exploding, just like his clay. Sakura found it ironic and funny. Her lips curved into a smile, which soon became a giggle, then morphed into a crazed laughter._

"_If you hadn't dodged it, and I'm glad you had fast reflexes, you could've- Hey, why're you laughing, yeah?"_

_Sakura was almost rolling on the floor. She sat up and wiped a tear in her eye, "You were exploding with anger…like your clay." _

_Deidara stared at the girl,_ What the heck? I almost killed her and she laughs at my face? What's with this girl, un?

_Deidara sighed in relief knowing she wasn't injured seriously. He crouched down and placed a hand on her head, "So, you brought the bandages for me, yeah?"_

_Sakura had finished laughing and nodded, "I was going to bandage them up." _

_Deidara gave a small smile, "Alright, but afterwards I'll bandage you, un"_

_Sakura shook her head, "I'm not injured badly. I'll be fine," _

_Deidara looked her up and down. She had a few cuts on her arms and her knees. "No way, yeah, I'm bandaging you."_

_Sakura gave a pout, but consented anyway. She began nursing Deidara's wounds despite her own._

_Deidara watched her closely,_ This cherry blossom…If she were thrown into the real world she would wither and die…

**XxxxxxX**

Deidara sighed, _She was my first friend here. I thought I could keep her away from the outside world, un. I never expected them to come to our world, yeah…_

_**XxxxxxX**_

"_Sasori nii san!" Sasori twitched. It was so early in the morning and she was screaming already. She was loud, annoying and most of all-_

_The door cracked open allowing the light from the outside flood in. "There you are Sasori nii san!" _

_Sasori inwardly groaned, -and most of all, she always disturbed his peace. _

"_Sakura…What do you want?" he busied himself with the screws of a puppet he was working on. _

_The child crept close and was watching him work. After a few seconds she spoke, "Dinner's ready…"_

_Sasori mentally slapped himself, he was a puppet, how they hell was he supposed to eat? She disturbed him to tell him so insignificant? _This brat-

"_Wow, you're so good Sasori nii san!" She chirped examining his other puppets that hung loosely on the ceiling._

"_Ah thank you." _At least she appreciates my art.

"_You made this from nothing?" _

_The question shook Sasori. _Uchiha san told me not to tell her anything, but she deserves to know doesn't she? Ah better lie then.

"_Yes." _They're made from human beings.

"_Wow! That's amazing!" _

_Sasori didn't reply and placed down the piece he was working on. He picked another piece and started carving into it, slowly shaping it. _

_Sakura stood next to him, her eyes fixed at what he was doing. "ne, Sasori nii san…" _

"_Yes?" he was only half listening._

"_You're an artist right?"_

"_Yes"_

"_And you're really good…"_

"_What is your point, Sakura?"_

"_Well I was wondering…since you're good and you are a master puppeteer"_

_Sasori was growing impatient. If the girl had something to say she should've said it fast. _

"_Sakura I don't like waiting"_

"_Ah yes, um I just thought…" She shifted uncomfortably, "…I thought that I should call you Sasori nii sama" _

_Sasori's hands froze and dropped what he was carving. "What did you say?"_

"_Ah I should call you Sasori nii sama…"_

_Sasori gave a small smile, "Well if you want to, it's fine with me…" _

_Sakura smiled back before gasping in shock, "Sasori nii sama! Your hand!"_

_Sasori had carved his own hand. He forgot that he placed the block of wood down earlier and mistook his hand for it. "Ah" He said in a calm voice. He didn't feel no pain, he was made of wood._

"_Sasori nii sama wait here I'll get something to cover it!" She searched frantically inside his room. She saw a piece of wood that was small enough to cover the scratch on his hand. _

_Sasori gave a small smirk, "Sakura…" The girl had used glue to place the piece of wood on him. And frankly, her handiwork wasn't really of high quality. _

_Sakura looked up at Sasori, "hm?"_

_Sasori sighed to himself. The edges of his wooden lips tugged to a small smile, "Thank you…"_

_Sakura gave him a wide grin and ran out of the room, "Ah Sasori nii sama, dinner. Don't forget."_

_Sasori nodded, "I'll be there in a few minutes." He plucked out the glued piece of wood. He walked over to his dresser and pulled the drawers. He opened a small wooden box. It was empty save for a small photograph of his old family. _

_Sasori placed the piece of wood inside and closed the drawers. A faint smile was plastered on his face when he walked into the dining room. He took his seat next to Sakura. _

"_Ah Sasori nii sama!" Everyone turned to the currently only female because Konan was in the main base, "Sama?" They all shifted their gaze at Sasori. _Had the master puppeteer manipulated her?

"_Oy, mphat're chu doinmph mphere? Chu thon't mpheat!" A full-mouthed Kisame babbled. Sakura giggled, _Translation: Oy, what're you doing here? You don't eat!

_Deidara nodded with a hmph, "That's right, danna, yeah"_

_Sasori ignored the two and turned to Kakuzu who was glaring at him. His glare obviously meant, _Oh so you're eating now too? Great more expenditures… "_Don't worry Kakuzu san, I won't be eating." _

_He turned to Sakura and watched her eat. He noticed that she didn't have any vegetables on her plate; it seemed to switch on somewhere a 'protective brother mode' that he sure didn't exist. "Sakura," she looked up at the mention of her name, "eat vegetables"_

_The table went silent. They turned to Sasori questioning his actions. It was Itachi who broke the silence, which was ironic because he was usually the most silent of all of them, and turned to Sakura. "Sasori is right" _

_Sakura was about to protest when Itachi had placed a spoonful of broccoli on her plate. She gave a small pout then huffed to herself. "unfair…" She grumbled and shoved a piece of broccoli into her mouth._

_The more lively members of the table laughed while the stoic ones either gave a small smile or stared at her._

**XxxxxxX**

Sasori was in his room. It was dark his only company were the dark silhouettes of his puppets. The puppets hung loosely on the ceiling like it did before—when she entered his world. The puppet master was staring at the piece of wood inside the box. He quickly shut the box and closed the drawer before walking to his desk and worked on a puppet.

**XxxxxxX**

_Kisame swung his Samehada around. "Kisame, stop swinging that around so much." He turned his head to the side and spied Itachi. He chuckled before swinging his sword once more before letting it lean on the wall._

_The shark man slouched down the outdoor recliner and sighed in contentment. His partner wasn't far. He sat there on his left and everything was peaceful—until they heard rapid footsteps._

_A small girl slid the door open and ran to Itachi. She jumped and hopped onto his lap. She greeted him and turned to Kisame then greeted him. _

_Sakura leaned on Itachi and pressed her face to his chest taking in his warmth. His heartbeat was steady like it always was. She liked the way it skipped a beat when she would lean on his chest. The way it suddenly raced then settled down. It amused Sakura every time._

"_Squirt-neko," Kisame called to the girl with pink hair who was nestled against Itachi, "Aren't you a bit too close to Itachi?" _

_Sakura giggled and stuck a tongue out at Kisame, "Why, you're jealous?"_

_Kisame grinned, "Tsk tsk tsk, that's not very nice Neko chan" he waved a finger at her. _

_She let out a small giggle before a question popped into her head. She looked up to Itachi, "Itachi nii san," _

_Itachi's onyx eyes met her bright jade ones. "Hn?"_

"_Deidara nii chan says Kisame nii kun is a fish." _

_Kisame choked on something as he sat up and turned to the pinkette, "He said what?" _

_A smirk found its way on Itachi's face before he hn'ed. _

"_Deidara nii chan said-"_

"_I know what he said, squirt." _

"_Then why did you ask?"_

_Itachi's lips tugged into a bigger smirk. He was very amused with what he was seeing. _

"_Just because I'm blue, have gill-like things on my face, and have hair that looks like a fin, it doesn't mean I'm a fish." Kisame had a frown on his face as he folded his arms on his chest. _

Oh Deidara's going to get it_. Kisame sat in silence going through the process on how Deidara was going to get it later. After a few minutes, he settled for draining Deidara's chakra with Samehada, shaving him, cutting off _all _of his tongues then tossing him into the sea. He smirked to himself, _The blonde kid was really going to get it.

_Sakura turned from Kisame to Itachi and let her thoughts out. She took a deep breath in tehn said, "Well I think Kisame nii kun look cool." _

_Kisame's thoughts on how to kill Deidara were suddenly pushed away by the green-eyed girl, "Eh?"_

"_I mean, how many people in the world are blue?" She kept decent eye contact with the shark man. Obviously, the girl was trying to get Kisame's hopes up, "And who has gills on his face? And hair that looks like a fin?"_

_Kisame chuckled, "None. Isn't that the point why it's an insult?"_

_Sakura fell silent for a moment. "That means you're unique, yes?"_

_Kisame pondered on the thought for a while. Unique. One-of-a-kind. He slowly started getting what Sakura was trying to say. _

"_And that's good isn't it? Kisame nii kun is one of a kind. And I think that being different and standing out is good. Besides, Samehada looks best with Kisame nii kun's appearance." She nodded finally ending her sentence and settling on Itachi's lap. _

_Itachi smirked and smoothed Sakura's hair and grunted in agreement._

_Kisame shot Sakura a toothy grin, flashing his sharp teeth, before he lay back down and let the breeze whip past him. "Yeah…unique…I like that. Ha eat that Deidara…" he mumbled to himself as he slowly shut his eyes and rested._

**XxxxxxX**

Kisame chuckled to himself. His chuckle was soft, and sad unlike the rest of his chuckles. Samehada was leaning on his shoulder like it usually did. "Yeah squirt, you were unique too…And y'know what…my dad had blue skin, gills and fin-like hair too." His eyes rested on the recliner where Sakura sat there with Itachi long ago. "But you know…I think you're the only one in the world with pink hair, green eyes and a big heart…"

**XxxxxxX**

"_Sakura, have you taken a bath yet?" Kakuzu was counting money like he usually did. _

"_Yes!" She walked down the steps dressed in pink pajamas and a maroon cloth on her head. _

"_Are you sure you don't want to eat dinner?" Sakura shook her head, "You said so yourself, Kakuzu nii san," her eyes narrowed and both her hands rested on her hips, "'We should save money'" Her voice was lowered in an attempt to mock the scrooge. _

_Kakuzu raised a brow before he occupied himself to counting coins, "That was before, you need to eat." He lifted his gaze and his eyes widened when he found himself face to face with Sakura. _

"_But I'm full from lunch. I ate too much…" Sakura gave a small giggle before stretching her arms out. She looked out the window and stared for a few minutes. _

_Kakuzu watched for a while, "It's only been two days, they won't be coming home." He said before once again filling his head with numbers and monetary funds. _

_Sakura turned to Kakuzu with a small pout and small tears in her eyes. He could tell she missed him a lot. She made her way and sat next to Kakuzu. She wiped her tears away and leaned her head on the table Kakuzu was using. She rested her chin on the edge of the table as her eyes followed every movement the immortal was doing. He shifited one coin from one side of the table to the other; his lips moved as he talked without words. Sakura could tell he was counting._

"_ne, Kakuzu nii san?"_

"_M?"_

"_They'll come home safely, ne?"_

"_They are strong, Sakura. They will not go down easily." _

"_Ne, Kakuzu nii san?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Will I fall easily?"_

_Kakuzu held the coin in the air, frozen. He placed the coin down and emerald met jade. "Well, you are young…" He tried to choose the right words carefully. "And you are not trained in the arts of the shinobi." _

_Sakura's lips made a small frown, "So if I go after them, I will die?" _

_Kakuzu sighed. Sakura wasn't making it easy for him to answer. "And why would you go after them?"_

_Sakura shook her head, "Well, no, I was just thinking, what if I did?"_

"_Then yes, Sakura, you would die."_

_All hope in Sakura seemed to be sucked out as her eyelids lowered. Her lips were pursed together in a __thin line. There was no smile and there was no frown, just a thin line that held no emotion. It worried Kakuzu for a moment._

"_Sakura…" he muttered. He felt guilty; he had killed the light that glowed inside of her. He turned away for a moment thinking what he could say to her to make her feel better. He stole a glance at her and was shocked to see her grinning. _

"_ne, Kakuzu nii san?"_

"_Ah y-yes?" He was still stunned. She was smiling? Why?_

"_One day, I'll train in the arts of the shinobi." Her eyes weren't directed at him. Instead, her gaze was far away, "And then I'll become strong so when Nii sans are on missions, I can go to them and I won't be killed."_

_Determination filled those jade orbs that Kakuzu thought was fragile. Perhaps this glass creature was actually a diamond. Like glass except sturdier—much sturdier. He shook his thoughts away. This girl had been making him think too much. He peered down at the bundles of cash and the piles of coins and realized he had lost count. He gave an annoyed grunt before he started all over again._

_**XxxxxxX**_

Kakuzu sat in the living room counting money…again. He got through more than half of the money, lost count, then he started all over again. "Damn it" he muttered under his breath. He cursed freely now knowing there was nothing to hold him back. But the thought of being free to do whatever he wanted made him uncomfortable. A few decades ago he would've jumped at an opportunity to do whatever he wanted, but now…well now he wished he was locked up—so long as that jail contained the pinkette.

**XxxxxxX**

Hidan sat idly on the couch. Kakuzu was counting his money again and it was so damn stuffy inside. He sighed, _I guess it's because of li'l bitch. _His thoughts were clouded with the girl and it was so damn annoying.

He scoffed, _I'm Akatsuki, a Jashin follower who loves chaos and destruction, but I mourn over a pink haired girl? Damn I must be going soft…_He closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep which proved futile, _Ah screw this! Soft or not, that girl, you just wait, when I die—if I die—I'm gonna find someway to get up there and curse! Yeah that's right, I'm going to fucking bring Jashin up there and we're gonna screw up your life._

Hidan found himself trembling with anger…and sadness. He held tears back. _Damn it li'l bitch, why'd you have to go like that?_

**XxxxxxX**

_Darkness. I'm shrouded by it._ _It's like a plague—it just won't end. _Itachi sighed and raked a hand through his dark hair. He had taken the band off and his hair was scattered on the side of his face. He wore no shirt, just a pair of dark pants. He was sitting on the bed, the sheets pooling around his waist.

He sighed as his onyx eyes stared into the darkness. _This pain. I hate it. It was like that night…_Pain ravaged his heart. Beneath that cold façade was still a loving man—and the only one who knew was dead. _She_ was dead.

He closed his eyes, searching his thoughts for the memory of her. He realized that there were far too many. But, he remembered it all. Her smile that made the pain in his heart lift, her jade eyes that glowed with a happiness that would ripple into him, her exotic pink hair that caught his attention every time she was near, her pale skin, her cherry red lips…everything.

He glanced at the uncomforting space that was established now that she was gone. His hand smoothed the edges of the bed. His lips were pressed into a frown and his eyebrows were furrowed.

His lips parted for a second to breathe in. _She's gone from this world…but she's in a better place now, isn't she? _

His fingers twirled and played with the black satin sheets. _One such as her didn't deserve to be here anyway _The corners of his lips tugged into a faint smile. _She was too good, too pure, too innocent, too unlike anyone else. She was definitely in a better place watching over them like she always did. Perhaps she found it fit to leave. But why now Sakura? Why now when I—all of us—finally found a haven? _

He lay down and stared at the ceiling. _We would willingly go to missions, endure it all, because we __knew…we knew that when we got home you would be there to greet us in our base. In truth, it wouldn't matter if there was a base, anywhere you were was home…_

Itachi smirked, _Listen to me, I sound like a sentimental idiot. Otou san would be scolding you for your _weakness_. But, otou san, you're dead. And so is she…_

_Sakura…you were my sanctuary. Maybe our meeting in the park was fate—or the Uchiha clan's way of avenging themselves. Either way, you went as quickly as you came. You gave us a glimpse of hope and memories to forever remain in our heart. Even if they were fleeting, my dear cherry blossom, you are always with us. _

Itachi's eyes grew cold. They froze and turned into a gateway to endless darkness. Then they turned red. Three tomoe swirled in his eyes. His eyes, they were like hell itself.

_But Sakura…No matter what has happened, we need to move forward. I'm sorry I—we—never told you. I never showed you my ninja abilities, haven't I? This is my doujutsu: The Sharingan. It's a blood limit passed down in the Uchiha clan—The clan I slaughtered the night I found you. Don't feel bad, my Sakura, after all…_

_We are Akatsuki. We are shinobi. We are tools. We are meant to be emotionless. We are killers, murderers and even if you will stay in our heart, we cannot let you get in the way of our goals. Besides, the dead cannot hold the living—not for long, that is._

_Our angel, watch over us. Watch us achieve our goals, wreak havoc and created a new world of paradise. War is not meant for you, my darling jade-eyed cherry blossom. Be patient, one day, we shall eradicate war and create a paradise that you would have loved to live in. A world meant for you—a world that is you._

His eyes fluttered to a close and he sunk into a slumber. And, for the first time in a long time, he dreamt.

He dreamt of her voice, her touch, her very existence and being.

He dreamt of his fallen angel.

**XxxxxxX**

The sky was dark. A dark blur zoomed past the trees. He was low on chakra and was bleeding heavily. The white of the moonlight battled with the blond of his hair. His left arm was burned—the aftereffect of his jutsu.

His hazel eyes kept alert incase of attacks. He was weak, but he had enough strength. He had enough strength to return back to his village, even with the additional cargo that he held tightly. _Just a little more, just enough to come home…_

The bundle in his arm stirred and mumbled a inaudible words, "…Ita…chi…nii…san…"

**XxxxxxX**

**-So in this chapter, it's just a series of flashbacks. And NO I did not get lazy in the end. I just simply thought that Hidan wouldn't have any significant memory of her because unlike Kakuzu, he didn't hang out with her. Kakuzu spent time with her because he acted as his caretaker. And Itachi didn't have memories because he had too much.**

**-Deidara had more than 1 flashback because he was the next closest person to Sakura after Itachi. :3 Besides, didn't he complain: It was always itachi this and itachi that…well I just wanted to emphasize Deidei chan's relationship with Sakura. And, that flashback showed that Itachi told the members to hide it from Sakura. (You weasel! D)**

**-a slight cliff hanger, ne? So, who do you think was in the blond's arms? (kind of obvious xD) Oh no, Itachi has snapped! XD teehee, I hope he stayed in-character. **

**-Until next time again :D**

**-Madam Obscurum, "When light was created, the dark followed; they come in pairs, one cannot exist without the other"**


	6. ExChapter:Innocence leads to consequence

**-Here's an extra chapter to swing away from the tension :D For your reading pleasure while I write the next chapter. **

**-A crack chapter . This is has nothing to do with the storyline. **

**-Warning: Sexual content. **

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Extra Chapter 1**

**~Innocence leads to consequence~**

Innocent Sakura was wondering through the halls of the main base. She was recently brought there by Itachi nii san and took the time to explore her new home. She passed through several rooms and examined the doors. Each door had a specific kanji symbol on the door. Itachi nii san had the kanji "Scarlet" on them.

She walked down the hall until she heard a creak. It was coming from the room further ahead. Curious, she neared the door and listened in.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

Sakura wondered what that was; however, she was soon answered by soft voices in the room. At first, she couldn't hear what they were saying clearly, but later on she understood. One voice was a female, obviously Konan's being as she was the only female besides her, and the other was a deep voice, probably leader sama's. To make sure, she looked at the Kanji letter on the door: Zero. Definitely Leader sama's room.

"Mph, Nagato- I mean Pain…Don't. You should rest…you've used too much chakra…" _Nagato? Was that Pain otou sama's real name?_

Creak. A sound Sakura didn't recognize.

"Ugh…Na..gato…" It was Konan okaa sama.

"Sh…I need to relieve stress."

"But…you're…ngh! Tired mph!" the intervals between the creaking noise got shorter and more of the inaudible sounds made my Konan okaa san increased.

"Don't scold me when we're having sex, Konan."

Sakura pulled her ear away from the door and repeated the words from Pain otou sama's mouth. _Sex…What was sex? _With what Sakura heard, it seemed to be something fun. She turned around and walked into Itachi's room.

She sat next to Itachi who was reading a book. "ne, Itachi nii san…?"

"Hn?" He didn't turn to her; he just kept reading.

"Can I ask you something?"

Itachi, guessing it was something pointless, grunted as a way to say 'yes'.

Sakura, somehow understanding his grunt language, continued, "What is…sex?"

Itachi was silent continuing to read his book before the words processed in his head, _What is sex?_

Itachi dropped his book. He turned to Sakura with slightly widened eyes, "What did you say?"

"Sex." Her pink lashes batted daintily. "It seems fun."

For a while, Itachi sat there staring at the pinkette before a smirk was place on his face. _Hn,she is innocent indeed. _"It is fun." He didn't want to elaborate on the subject, but she pressed on.

"Is it like a game?" Itachi nodded and went back to reading his book. He avoided having to explain what it _exactly _was and decided to just answer as honestly as possible.

"Will you do it with me one day, then?" Itachi's head turned to the girl; she was full of surprises. Again, like when they met, this girl didn't know what she was getting into.

The corner of his lips tugged into a smirk. He decided to play along since she obviously didn't know what it really was, "Of course, however, only with me. Do you understand?"

"So I can't have sex with Deidara nii chan, Kisame nii kun, or Hidan nii san?"

"Definitely not."

"Why not?" She pouted folding her arms across her chest.

"It is a game only two people can play." He set his book aside and leaned in on Sakura.

Her face felt hot as Itachi nii san leaned close. He whispered into her ear, his breath hot, "You cannot have sex with anyone but me." His fingers twirled around her pink locks. His smirk grew as he whispered in her ear again, "Your virginity is mine." He honestly meant it as an inside joke. After all, what harm could it do since she didn't know what it meant?

Sakura, not understanding what he meant, pulled away. Her face was beat red. Itachi placed a hand on her head.

Her blush now faded but still evident, she walked out of the room and into the living room where the rest of the Akatsuki members were.

She sat between the shark man and the blond who smiled at her presence. "So, what're you up to Sakura chan, yeah?"

Sakura was grinning from ear to ear. She had a faint blush on her cheeks and her eyes were brighter than usual. She was silent, her thoughts were somewhere far away.

"Ne…Sakura chan, un? You came from Itachi's room, yeah?"

The girl snapped back and nodded slowly, "…yes."

"Did something happen, squirt?" That was Kisame nii kun.

She nodded once again, "What happened, yeah?"

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "Itachi nii san promised me he would play a game with me."

"A game? And what game would that be?" Kisame asked wondering how on earth Itachi would agree to play a _game_. He didn't seem like the type to play games.

"Itachi nii kun…he promised he would have sex with me!" She said loudly announcing it to the whole household.

Deidara and Kisame's jaw dropped as the room fell silent. Sakura ignored their responses, oblivious to the fact that they were all staring at her, "He said his virginity was his!"

Everyone was quiet for the next few minutes until Itachi decided to step in. He walked through the living room evidently ignoring everyone.

As soon as his presence was detected, they all turned to Itachi with piercing glares.

Seeing Itachi, Sakura hopped off of the couch and clung to his arm.

Itachi glanced at the girl before he sat on one of the recliners. He welcomed Sakura as she nestled onto his lap. He was obviously indifferent to the cold stares that were sent towards him.

It was Kisame who broke the silence. He smirked, "Heh, Itachi,"

Itachi's eyes moved up to who his blue-skinned partner. "Hn?"

"Don't 'hn' me, I didn't know you were one."

Itachi raised a brow, "One?"

Deidara was steaming. His teeth gritted in anger, even the mouths in his hand quivered with anger. He was ready to explode. "Itachi!...You…!"

Itachi ignored the blond as he waited for Kisame to continue, "I didn't know you were a pedophile."

Itachi's eyebrows furrowed, "What are you talking about?"

Sakura cocked her head to the side and glanced up at Itachi, "Itachi nii san, what's a pedophile? Does it have something to do with sex?"

Deidara's eye twitched. Itachi peered down and answered Sakura, "Yes it does."

"Ah so Itachi nii san is a pedophile?"

"No."

"Oh, then why did Kisame nii kun…?"

"A pedophile is an adult who has sex with a child." He bluntly answered like it was nothing.

Sakura gave a small 'oh' before she readied to follow up another question, but Itachi beat her to it, "I am not a pedophile being as I am just a few years older than you. Yes, you are a child right now and not ready so I cannot have sex with you…yet."

Itachi glanced at Deidara and Kisame before he grunted and smirked at them.

"Itachi nii san?"

Deidara wanted to send an explosive at Itachi, but tried his best to control himself.

"hn?"

"How many times a day can you play sex?"

"As much as you like."

"Ah well then…when I'm ready for sex, and I'm sure it will be fun, can we have sex everyday?" Her eyes glowed with excitement as she bounced lightly on Itachi's lap.

"Of course, if you want, we can have sex all day."

Sakura smiled and wrapped her arms around Itachi, "I love you Itachi nii san!"

Itachi gave a grunt before he continued reading his book.

Kisame groaned as he held on to Deidara who lunged at Itachi, but was stopped. "Let me kill him!"

Sasori watched his partner struggle in the shark man's grip. _Where had she learned such a word in the first place?_

**XxxxxxX**

Later, they all found out that Sakura had learned the word from leader sama and Konan. The two denied ever mentioning the word, but everyone knew this was false—since Sakura later came into the living room holding Konan's bra. She asked who owned it, what was it for, and what it was doing in Pain otou sama's room. The akatsuki grimaced wondering the same thing, _What was it doing in leader sama's room?_

**XxxxxxX**

**-Yes a crack chapter. xD Sorry the idea popped into my head and I couldn't resist typing it up. **

**-Itachi you abuser D xD**

**-Madam Obscurum, Pick up line for the sake of crack chapter: "I'd love to be your pillow. Then you could sleep with me every night."**


	7. Chapter 5: The Lost Angel

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto .**

**-Thank you for the reviews :D I am inspired when I see your reviews :D (*hint hint*)**

**-l337sparta: about the correction of Sapphire, I thank you very much. xD I didn't see that. I meant to put Ruby. xD Gomen! I blame pokemon, they name their games in gems and now I'm getting them mixed up. xD And about my story being similar to another story, how so? Is it VERY similar? (So I read it) Wow…the similarities are uncanny. O-O But, the similarities lie in the narratives. I think she's much better than me. XD My narrations are like broken sentences . Anyway, thank you again for your correction :D Now I have to check my other chapters—just incase. xD**

**-if anyone else finds any corrections: spellings and etc. please tell me xD **

**-Pibinezz: Ahaha I post fast because…well at the moment I have all the time to write and the plot is certain until chapter 6. After that, however, I might slow down a bit because the plot after that is blurry. Need to sharpen a few kinks here and there. :D If my story were divided into arcs, it would be like saying the first arc was fixed, but the rest aren't. xD**

**-minniemousemom: Ahaha maaaaybe :D**

**-I have some new story plots that I'll be working on after this one. I'm not sure which one to do first though. xD (see profile)**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 5**

**~The Lost Angel~**

Six Akatsuki members were in the external base's living room. Kakuzu sat on a recliner, unusually staring into space instead of counting cash. Itachi sat on the recliner opposite to the money-lover and was glaring at something non-existent. Kisame sat on one side of the couch and Deidara sat on the other. They made sure to keep the space in the middle unoccupied—for the sake of their memories. Sasori and Hidan chose to stand on opposite corners of the room.

The way the six were positioned, to someone coming in from the front door, it was symmetrical. And this was exactly what he thought when Zetsu walked in through the front door.

Hidan smirked at the plant-like spy as he walked in through the front door. He, unlike the others, was the quickest in moving on from. Death like this was nothing to him; he'd seen children slain—usually by him. "Oh so you use doors now, fly-trap?"

The others glanced at the doorway and Zetsu felt the gloom of the room, save for Hidan who had just insulted him. "Leader wondered why he received no post mission report,"

"**He wondered if you all died," **His dark half stated with a hint of mockery in his tone.

At the word 'died', Deidara and Kisame's eyes further darkned while the smug smirk on Hidan's face was wiped off. So maybe he was a _little_ bit affected.

Itachi furrowed his eyebrows, "We are alive." He said refusing to look at the akatsuki spy.

"I see…" The white half of Zetsu studied the others while his dark half looked around the room.

"**But one person is missing. The tasty pink haired girl…"** He bluntly stated as if they weren't already aware of her absence.

"Hm, you're right," Zetsu's white side noticed the pink girl was indeed missing. He wondered if the girl was cleaning somewhere in the house. Usually, she would run up to him and ask if he needed watering, for she thought he was a real plant.

"Li'l bitch is dead." Hidan said with a scowl on his face. He had said it so bluntly that it almost sounded as if he didn't care. But, knowing Hidan, he was just trying to deviate himself from being affected by her death. (And he was)

"**Ah, shame, she seemed tasty…"**

Itachi shot a glare at Zetsu. The bastard wanted to _eat_ Sakura! He resisted the urge to hit the plant man.

"Anyway, I'm sure leader sama would want to hear about this…" His white side said, noticing the surrounding gloom.

Shifting themselves, they did certain hand seals. In a few seconds, Leader sama's image appeared before them.

"Leader sama…" They all said in unison.

**XxxxxxX**

Pain stood on top of the Main Akatsuki base. He was currently looking at the other akatsuki members. He saw Deidara and Kisame on the couch, Itachi on the right and Kakuzu on the left recliners. Hidan, Zetsu and Sasori were standing. His eyes roamed searching for someone who wasn't there.

"Leader sama…"

His eyes returned to the akatsuki members. "Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, I take it your mission was successful…?"

"Yes."

"Leader sama, when is the next mission?" Pain raised a brow. They were never excited to go on missions. _This show of enthusiasm is suspicious._

"There are currently no big ones. Kakuzu should be able to keep the income flow, however, with his bounty missions."

He heard soft footsteps behind him and knew it was Konan. He didn't turn to her, and instead continued, "There is also the problem of the shinobi villages."

At the mention of shinobi villages, several pairs of eyes lit up. "It seems that they are very intent on taking out all threats. That includes Akatsuki. I received information a while ago about shinobi with missions to take these threats out."

"We fucking know." Hidan butted in. "Kakuzu and I were fucking attacked last night, those bullshit Konoha nin bastards."

Again Pain's eyebrow quirked up in question, "Konoha nin?" He sighed, "I take it no one was injured?"

"No one was injured," Sasori was next to speak, "However, one is dead."

Pain furrowed his eyebrows. _Who was dead? They were all there. Wait, then the one who died was—_

He felt Konan stiffen behind him. So, she was thinking of the same thing.

"So…the cherry blossom is dead?" he tried to hide the throbbing pain in his chest. _Pain, it really never stops does it? She but become another link in the chain of hatred._

Sasori nodded. Even if his gaze was directed at him, Pain knew even Sasori was quite shaken by what he had said.

He felt Konan move towards him. She stopped next to him and began to speak, "How did she die?" Konan looked stoic. Her blue hair and white rose were the same as it always was. But her eyes were filled with worry. Pain couldn't bear to see her in such a state, but he didn't do anything, for Konan was strong. She always was.

"A Konoha nin launched a huge lightning attack. Hidan and I were strong enough to stay alive after the attack, but the range of the attack was too big." Kakuzu's emerald eyes refused to meet the leader's amber ones. He felt her death was his fault, and he couldn't take the guilt.

"Sakura, she—" His voice was breaking, "She foresaw the tactic the enemy was going to use and ran to warn us. I tried to push her away but…"

The others had turned to Kakuzu. He didn't tell them what _exactly_ happened and neither did Hidan. They had been blaming him for the past few hours knowing Sakura had died under his watch. But now, they understood that he—they—tried his best to protect the cherry blossom. The immortals cared, and they spent their mourning hours accusing them. They hated the constricting guilt that arose inside of them. Remorse was a bitch—that was clear.

Konan frowned. She turned away and walked inside the base. Sakura has—had been, she corrected herself—like a daughter to her. She treated her like they were blood. The feeling was too painful. It felt like she had just lost her own child.

Pain was tempted to chase after her, but that could wait later. He focused his attention onto his members—at least he tried to. The thought of his daughter-like cherry blossom dead was stuck in his mind.

He mentally shook himself, "I see…it is…regrettable…" He tried to pick his words carefully. They—he—were currently in emotionally vulnerable states. The cherry blossom was a part of their lives, though not so significant as to destroy the core of their being. No, too much events in Pain's lives had already done that. Besides, how can someone break something that is already broken?

"Thus we need time to recover. Akatsuki shall lay low for the mean time. We will strike when they least expect it." Then he ended the transmission.

Pain sighed and turned. He gave one last look at the Rain village. The sky cried, its tears fell from heavens above and landed on the earth below. Pain stretched a hand forward and felt the raindrops slosh on his palm. It first landed on his fingertips and slid to the center of his hand. Soon, the water had pooled and overflowed. It spilled through the gaps of his fingers and fell to the ground.

He turned, his akatsuki cloak spraying the droplets that had settled on it, and walked inside the base. His eyes were dull and his eyebrows furrowed.

_Her death…will not be in vain. When we start moving, Konoha will be the first to crumble. Konoha will know true pain._

_**XxxxxxX**_

Pain entered Konan's room quietly. He found her sitting on the sill of her window staring into the pouring rain. The window never held any view, just never-ending, pouring rain. He walked towards her and stopped a few inches away from her. "Konan?"

Her eyes turned to meet his. She had sensed his presence long before, how couldn't she? His presence was an overwhelming one—power surged through his veins like it was natural. And as far as she knew Pain, it _was_.

"She was so young…" She breathed out a sigh. Her blue hair had been turned into a navy blue shade, and her eyes…

Her blue hair was beautiful, true, but it had always been her eyes that captivated Pain_. _For one, their real color had yet to be established. On bright mornings her eyes were of a captivating soft amber color—Pain figured it was because of the sun—and on dark evenings, it was a bluish gray with golden highlights.

Now, they were gray with dim amber hints on her iris. She used to be so kind; he had to admit that he missed that kindness from her. But, she had hardened. Could he blame her? She was stoic, but truth be told, her resignation was a miracle. If anyone else had been in her place, and Pain knew how much she had gone through, they probably wouldn't have lived long enough.

"She was…" He managed to say after a long choked silence. "And it is _painful_…the loss…" He took slow steps like someone approaching an untamed beast. His body pressed against her backside and his hands latched themselves on her shoulder. "But _you_ of all people should know that pain is inevitable."

She kept still, and let his words echo through the room and in her head. "But…her death will not be in vain."

Her eyes slowly turned to him. Her piercing gray eyes stared into his ringed ones. "How so?"

"She was an epitome of the world we want…" His spiked hair that once belonged to his other teammate, Yahiko, flickered back and forth with the rain's wind. "It just means that our world is as foul as we thought it was. Do not fret my angel"—for he was a god, and she was his right hand—"Soon, we shall create a world where our Sakura could have lived in. A clean paradise, just like the one she is in now."

Pain leaned down and pressed his lips against her cold ones. It was a peck, a chaste kiss that managed to calm Konan. For a moment, she remained perched on the windowsill. It was only after a few moments of tranquility that she leaned back and rested her heads on his chest.

**XxxxxxX**

White light flooded the vicinity as eyes fluttered open. She inspected the room. It looked so clean; it was probably the affect of everything being white. The curtains surrounding her were a translucent white, just enough to see silhouettes of the objects outside, the sheets on the bed were white, even the ceiling was of the same color.

_Where was she? _

A shape that resembled a female figure emerged from her left side. The curtains were drawn back giving way for the sunlight. She groaned as her eyes squinted from the sudden intake of light.

She turned to the woman who stood on her left. The woman too was in white. Her blouse, skirt, shoes, stockings and hat were white. She would have been a 'white lady' if it weren't for her physical features. She had dark brown hair neatly tucked into a bun, her eyes were of chocolate brown, and her clipboard that she held pressed against her chest was black.

"Hello there, little one. So you're finally awake?" The woman asked her before beaming her a radiant smile.

No reply. The woman ignored her silence and continued.

"Now, you're probably wondering where you are?"

A slow nod.

"You're in a shinobi village. The village hidden in the leaves or Konoha to be exact."

Her eyes widened. _Konoha?_ _No. Not here. Anywhere but here._

The woman gave her a concerned look and opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when the door slid open. An old man, probably in his 50's or 60's entered. He wore a white and red robe and a hat that had fabric sewed from the sides to the back like a veil. On the hat there was a kanji letter. She read it as 'Ho' meaning 'fire'.

He gave an abrupt nod to the nurse as a sign that he would be taking over. The nurse bowed in respect to him before walking out of the room and shutting the door after. The man stared at the girl for a few seconds before he took a seat on her right side.

"I believe Misako-san told you where you are?" _Misako san?_ _She was probably the woman who was there earlier. _

She gave a nod.

The man gave her a small smile, "Now child, do you know what you're doing here? Or how you got here?"

She shook her head. He looked at her with a small frown, disappointed at the inability to get answers.

"You were brought here by one of our shinobi. Unfortunately, he didn't make it back in time and he died on the way back from his mission."

_He?_ _Who was 'he'?_

"He was an honorable shinobi," his eyes held a distant look. Regret, maybe?

She didn't speak and waited for him to continue.

"He was found by a patrolling anbu squad. They found you unconscious in his arms. The medic-nins said it was the huge chakra loss that killed him. They guessed he used his lightning techniques too much."

She cocked her head to the side. _Lightning techniques?_ Her green eyes watched the man intently.

"He was a strong and dedicated one, your savior,"

She raised a questioning brow, _Savior?_ _He was no savior. He attacked my nii sans!_

"Well child, you are a silent one. I can understand why. You don't trust me?" He gave a small chuckle.

She didn't respond and kept her gaze fixed on him.

"Let me ease your distrust. I am the third Hokage of Konoha, but you can call me sandaime or Sarutobi san."

Her eyes widened briefly, _Hokage? She should've guessed it. No wonder he and his attire were familiar. _

"And you are…?"

She was hesitant to answer. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Sa-" she paused rethinking. She shut her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Would it be right to tell them her name? There was no harm to it anyway…right? "Sakura…" her voice was soft, but audible.

The hokage's smile widened, "Do you have a last name, Sakura chan?"

Sakura froze. _Last name?_ _No I can't-_ She trembled for a few moments. That name, she didn't want to say it again.

Her eyes moved upwards to glance at the third; he was still smiling.

That name, she didn't want to think about it. That name, it was like taboo. That name, it had been a long time since she said it. That name, even her nii sans didn't know about it.

That name…

She mumbled inaudible words. "Sorry, could you repeat it please?" She shifted her gaze to her entwined fingers and fell silent for a long time.

That name was...

"…Haruno." Her lips burned at the mention of the name. Her head dropped as he pink bangs settled to cover her eyes.

The third too was quiet. He processed the name piecing together her first and last name, Haruno. Sakura. Haruno Sakura. A thought struck him.

"Sakura chan, are you by any chance the Haruno girl who went missing a year ago?"

Her jaded eyes lit and her skin paled. The third took it as a yes.

"So…you _are_ from this village then. We're glad you came back safely. Your aunt will be happy to know you're okay."

_Auntie?_

"You're all rested up, aren't you? Let me ask the hospital to discharge you," A wide grin was plastered on his face; his eyes had a soft and understanding look. "I'll take you personally to your aunt."

The third stood and walked out the door. Sakura heard muffled voices outside the door. They were probably talking about her.

She sat there brooding in silence for a long time. _So, she was filed as missing? I'm in Konoha? I'm…back? And Aunt was fine? That's good to hear._ She gave a small but sad smile as the third re-entered the room with a smile on his face. "Let's go then Sakura chan."

She gave a curt nod before she slid off the bed and trailed after the hokage.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura followed behind the third passing several nostalgic places. Her eyes roamed back and forth, left and right, taking in things of old and things of new. She remembered the pathways, they hadn't changed, and the stores. There were some new thrift shops, but that was all. In fact, everything was just like when she left. The hokage didn't take in the sights, unlike her, he was used to the village. He probably memorized every inch of it.

After a while of walking, the Hokage stopped in front of a civilian home. But it wasn't just any civilian home. It was Sakura's home. For a while, Sakura stood there frozen. Her knees shook uncontrollably, and her eyes were watering.

The hokage watched the girl stiffen then tremble, _She_ _was scared. But why?_

He pretended not to notice and knocked on the door three times. A voice called out, "Just a moment, please!" Sakura recognized that voice. It was her aunt. It didn't help her trembling being as she shook more when her aunt called out.

There was a shuffling of feet before the door creaked open. "Ah, Hokage sama!" Her aunt looked the same time too. Her bold red hair and gray eyes—like her mother. Her mother…where was she? Was she safe? Somehow, Sakura knew the answer, and she didn't like it.

"Good morning, Akane-san," He nodded to Sakura's aunt, "I have wonderful news for you."

The red head cocked her head to the side just as Sakura did in the hospital. People always said she looked like her mother and acted like her aunt—at least the part where their reactions were similar. "Good news?"

"Yes, we found someone."

"You found- Really?" She gasped in delight, "You found Saku chan?" She had always been perky. A perfect wife—or so people called her. It was too bad she never married. Sakura's aunt had told Sakura once that she didn't need a man in her life—a downside to her perfection—because with the perfect wife, came the perfect independence.

The third nodded and stepped aside to reveal her pink-haired, green-eyed niece, "Sakura!" Akane ran forward, tears swelling in her eyes, and grabbed the girl in a bone-crushing hug. "Saku chan…My Saku chan…you're back."

Sakura gave a small smile, "Yes…Akane obaa san."

The third smiled, content that a family was finally at peace. But beneath the smile were questions. _She has a loving aunt, why was she scared? _He searched his thoughts trying to find an answer. Then, he remembered an event that probably caused Sakura's fear.

A year ago, if he remembered correctly, the fire country was going through economical crisis. There had been various internal conflicts within the council and the clans—like the Uchiha massacre. The shinobi village held the majority of the country's income. And when it became unstable, the rest of the land naturally followed. Thus, there was a fluctuation in the cash flow. But, being as the country's income depended on the shinobi, most of the cash also went to them. The civilian families were more affected with the economical crisis more than the shinobi families. Civilian families like the Haruno family.

"Oba san, what happened to mother?" sakura innocently asked. She had a gut feeling her aunt's answer would be dreadful especially since _that_ happened.

Her aunt's smile melted into a frown, "Ah…you're mother…She…" her eyes clenched shut, "She's dead, Sakura."

Sakura was speechless for a while. With her jade eyes darkened, her skin and lips pale, she nodded, "Ah I see…"

Akane gaped at her niece. She expected Sakura to be shocked, but she was taking it unusually calm. "Saku chan…?"

She smiled, "Don't worry Oba san, I'm fine. I sort of…expected it." Her smile was forced and sad.

Akane grinned back and hugged her softly, "She's in a better place now, Saku chan…she'll always be with us…" She assured her niece realizing that despite her façade, her heart was wrenching.

Sakura nodded before she hugged her aunt in return. Her heart beat in a steady but hard rhythm. She was trying her best to stifle the tears that were forming in her eyes. She would not break, even when her heart had cracked and was cracking. _Mother…watch over us…I hope…father is with you…I know it wasn't his fault…_

The third gave a curt nod and walked away. _That's right…_He had remembered the events that took place a year and a half ago. On the same night as the Uchiha massacre, the Haruno family had finally broken after months of tension. Specifically, Haruno san, Sakura's father, had snapped.

Sarutobi slowed to a stop at the foot of Konoha palace.

Haruno san went into a break down and attempted to kill his family. He had succeeded in stabbing his wife, and went after his daughter, but Sakura ran. Unable to kill his daughter, and realizing what he did to his wife and what he was about to do with his own daughter, he killed himself.

We never found Sakura after that night. Her aunt filed a search for her, but seeing as there was no trace of her location, we never found her—until today. Still, it is certainly unsettling that she was found while on a mission to eliminate the akatsuki. Perhaps she became a side mission on the way back…still…

He shook his thoughts away, greeted the chuunin that guarded the entrance, and walked inside.

**XxxxxxX**

"Ne, Saku chan, let's get you cleaned up alright?"

The girl nodded happily. She was home, and safe. She could be satisfied with that wouldn't she? Wrong. She was struggling inside wondering if her nii sans were safe. _They would come for her, wouldn't they? _

And yet, the thought scared her. If her nii sans came for her, would she go now that she had been reunited with her aunt? The ten year old gave a small frown before she followed her aunt into the bathroom.

She stripped her clothes off and entered the tub as her aunt turned the shower on. Cold water suddenly splashed against her skin. She gave a small squeal at the sudden freeze. "Oba san!" She scolded her aunt.

Her aunt waved her hands in defense, "I'm sorry. I was too excited and forgot about the temperature."

Sakura pouted as she watched her aunt open the heater. She giggled softly afterwards, making her aunt smile in the process. "Ah so you're much better now?"

Her jaded orbs lit up, "Y-Yes." The ends of her lips tugged into a smile that grew wider when her aunt patted the top of her head. Her aunt was trying to make her forget her pain.

Pain…Pain otou sama…How was he? How was everyone?

She pushed her thoughts away and closed her eyes feeling her aunts slender fingers massage the shampoo into her scalp.

"Ne, Saku chan…?"

"Yes Oba san?"

"Let's be a family again, ne?"

Sakura gave a curt nod, "un!"

"And this time...let's be happy."

She smiled at the proposal that was made and she happily agreed to it. She had a family again. But what about her other family? What would happen to them? She knew they would manage without her—for they were shinobi—but could she manage without them? There was a fight before she blacked out right? How were they? Were they safe?

She thought of the night before she went unconscious. If only she had been stronger, maybe she could have protected her nii sans…and her mother a long time ago. Would they forgive her? Would they welcome her back if she came to them? But the blond Kakuzu nii san and Hidan nii san had fought died, didn't he? They probably beat him…or he beat them and then died.

_They were fine, weren't they? _She told herself to keep calm. They were shinobi, they were strong whereas…whereas she was _weak_.

She was weak—Itachi nii san had told her before—and would die if she went out into the real world—Kakuzu had bluntly stated the night she was whisked away. And yet, if she was strong enough to defeat the konoha nin, then she wouldn't have been taken back to Konoha and be reunited with her aunt. So should she see her current position a blessing or a curse?

Questions, questions, questions! They kept popping out of nowhere and Sakura was getting tired of it. She was thankful that her aunt was massaging her head because it eased the throbbing headache she was feeling now.

With a soft smile, she emptied her mind and busied herself to the feeling of her aunt's fingers on her head.

**XxxxxxX**

That night, Sakura sat across her aunt on the dining table. Timidly, she raised a piece of pork and popped it into her mouth. It was quiet, enough to hear the ticking of the clock that hung on the wall. It would take her some time to get used to the silence of the home. She was used to the loud clanking of plates and chattering of her nii sans. Now, their voices were just distant echoes. Were they eating dinner like she was?

She stared dimly at her food, thinking deeply to herself. Her aunt, seeing her still, placed her chopsticks down and decided to start a conversation, "So, Saku chan…"

The girl was torn away from her thoughts, "Ah Yes?"

"Are you thinking of going to school?" Her aunt had gambled on this topic. It was a double-edged sword. It could either dampen her spirits at the prospect of suddenly meeting new people or raise them in the hopes of moving forward. Fortunately, it was the latter.

She gave a cheerful nod, "Un. But…" Her voice trailed away.

"But?"

"I want to go to a shinobi school."

Akane wasn't expecting that. She sat there staring wide-eyed at her niece. "So you want to become a shinobi?"

Sakura nodded, refusing to make eye contact with her. She long wanted to become a shinobi. She wanted to be a kunoichi—a female ninja—hoping that she could become strong. She told Kakuzu that she was going to become strong so she could follow her nii sans in missions. She wanted to be a shinobi like them. But first, she had to enter shinobi school and to do that, she needed her aunt's consent.

Akane felt herself speechless as a lump formed in her throat. Her niece who just came home from kami knows where—and she didn't bother to ask—wanted to enter a shinobi school. She wanted to enter a world where death and pain was there at every turn. But that was it, wasn't it? Death and pain already followed Sakura. It was obvious enough knowing what happened to her. She was tempted to decline Sakura, but something in Sakura's eyes wouldn't let her.

Those emerald eyes were like her father's except that Sakura's shined brighter. Where her father's eyes were dark green, hers was a bright green. She had always carried that glint in her eyes. The glint—it came from her mother. There was no doubt that Sakura was the spitting image of her late sister. But Sakura inherited far more than just looks. She had the same smile, the same laugh, and the same sparkle in her eyes. Sakura's mother was a woman to be admired. She was calm, kind, but she was naïve.

Akane once described her sister as innocent. Now, well, she just called her naïve. She wouldn't admit her sister was innocent—never again—because that brought her downfall.

It was plainly obvious to anyone and everyone that Sakura's father had snapped and was no longer safe to be around. That was why she left the household in the first place. She was scared. She was afraid something would happen and warned her sister, but she wouldn't listen. She was blindly in love with this man and trusted him too much. She opted to take Sakura with her, but her sister was so sure she would be safe.

She didn't listen, and look where it got her? She was killed by the man she had trusted the most. Her sister wasn't innocent—she was naïve, gullible and stupid. The day before the incident, Sakura had asked her why she didn't marry. She simply answered that she didn't need a man in her life. She never told Sakura the entire truth. She didn't marry because she believed Love destroyed women.

It saddened her quite a bit that Sakura had inherited her mother's trusting nature. True, people said Sakura acted like her in many ways: her bubbly personality, her cheerfulness, her boldness; but, Sakura was definitely her sister's daughter: the way she was _innocent_, the way felt the need to protect anything that was injured, her kindness, her desire to make everyone around her happy…she was just like her mother.

She didn't hate Sakura's mother, despite her stubbornness, nor did she hate Sakura's father, even with his emotional instability. Intruth, she hated herself more than anything. Akane was bold, but it was only in her words. When it came to actions, Akane was more reserved than anything. She had always considered herself a weak coward. It showed especially on the night _it_ happened.

She should've stayed, because if she did, her sister would've probably been alive and Sakura wouldn't have disappeared. But instead, she ran away and only came crawling back when everything was safe. Akane did get her karma. She went home to a messed up and broken home and was left alone for a year and a half until the pinkette came back.

Pink hair. It was the only evidence that she was the child of Sakura's father and mother because her hair color symbolized the love that existed between them. Her mother was a red head, like Akane was, and her father had silver hair. Akane guessed the two had truly loved each other because their hair color had meshed and resulted to the pink hair girl.

"Oba san?"

Akane snapped back, _That's_ _right, Sakura wanted to enter ninja school._

Sakura eyed her and heard her give a sigh, "Alright Sakura, you can join Shinobi school."

Her lips tugged into a small smile and Sakura's did the same. She slipped off of her seat and embraced her aunt. "Thank you Oba san!" Happily, she raced up to her room.

_I'm sure you thought about this, my little cherry blossom. _Akane was grinning to herself, _I am certain you won't make me regret my decision. After all, you are _their _child. And maybe one day, you can grow strong. Gain the strength neither I, nor your parents had. Grow, my little cherry blossom, then one day, spread your blooms so they would reach the hearts of many._

**XxxxxxX**

**-So we see PainxKonan here. And we see that Pain too was affected by Sakura's death teehee. Personally I'm proud of this chapter. xD I decided to work on my narratives and came up with this. Though proud, I'm still a little unsatisfied. Lol. I still have a lot of broken sentences that seem…boring? I dunno. xD You guys be the judge. Oh and Zetsu makes an appearance! XD**

**-About Pain, I'm still getting around his personality and ideals. I know for a fact that only Konan calls Pain: Pain/Nagato. But, Sakura gets to call him Pain also because well…she's quite close and has no leader-subordinate attachment. :3**

**-In this chapter, we also see Sakura's past. Did anyone notice that in my other chapters, I never once placed why Sakura was crying in the park? Teehee. . And we also see her father and mother, er, at least in memory. How do you like her aunt? I imagined her to be perky, giddy and 'womanly' hehe. She also has female pride. xD**

**-This chapter signifies the last chapter in the first arc. xD I'm sorry if there was no romance (well there were hints but nothing major). I didn't want this story to be so fast paced. xD What do you guys think? Should I have put major romance in the first 5 chapters of the chapter?**

**-I'll admit, it was hard to think of a chapter name. xD So the "Lost Angel" can symbolize either Konan or Sakura. You take your pick . This chapter took me some time because I had to research my information. xD (My author notes are long )**

**-Oh yes, on Sunday I'm heading to the beach. xD I'm not sure if I'll have time to write, but I'm sure inspiration will come to me. (I was in another beach previously and was able to sort out the plot of this story there xD) **

**-Madam Obscurum, **"**...Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they wi****n.**" **(Stephen King)**


	8. Chapter 6: Letter from an Angel

**-Yeah I found internet on the beach. xD**

**-Thank you so much for the reviews! I had a booming amount in such a short time, I'm so happy I could cry. xD Your comments actually inspire me, y'know. I get ideas (whether you mention one or not) thus I can update faster :D (*more hints*) Oh yes I know people put my story on alert and favorites, and I know your usernames D (mwahahaha!) So, leave a review please? :3 Don't be shy now D**

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-I'm warning you all now, I'm going to be following and screwing up the events in the anime. xD Also I'm not sure if it's an interesting read. Tell me please if it is or isn't. **

**-I'm experimenting with my style, so for the next 5 (or less) chapters it will be all letter-chapters (epistles) like this one. I'm sorry, but I needed a way to give off emotions that connected the Sakura here and the Sakura in the anime. XD So if it turns out a little boring, tell me. Because then I'll add a lot more effort on the rest of the story. xD Right now, it's still a little amusing because, with a little twist in the timeline, I was able to insert some deep thoughts. (woopie? XD) I'm hoping the rest would be better though.**

**-minniemousemom: Kakashi? O.o Who is the 'who' you are referring to? Kakashi hasn't made an appearance yet. . Did you mean the shinobi who took Sakura to konoha? (if it is the shinobi, then actually I thought about making that shinobi Kakashi at some point. Then I thought…well…I didn't really think. I just crossed it out from my mind xD) **

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 6**

**~Letter from an Angel~**

**(Well Spring Genesis)**

Sakura fiddled with her pencil, twirling it between her fingers. A finger was pressed on her temple as she searched for some sort of muse. She heaved a sigh while the pencil was tapping noisily on the table.

"A name…to who…" For the past few minutes, she had been wracking her head for a name. Green eyes stared at the partially blank piece of paper. At the top of the paper was a word scribbled ornately: "Dear " Then everything else was blank. The problem that had been frying her head since she woke up at dawn was the fact that she couldn't think of a name—someone to address the letter to.

It had been days since she returned—was taken back—to Konoha. Her letter writing was meant to be some sort of release for the emotions that bubbled inside of her because she didn't have a nii san to talk to.

With a frown on her face, Sakura lifted the pencil and began scribbling on the piece of paper. _The name can wait_.

**XxxxxxX**

"_Dear _,_

_My name is Haruno Sakura. I am currently 10 years old and today, I entered the pre-academy for shinobi. My life is peaceful. I have made acquaintances in my class (we're all girls), and we're currently learning flower-aranging and origami. When I heard we were working with origami, I remembered Konan okaa sama. If she was here, she would've taught me, wouldn't she? But that's the thing: she's not here. And that's what I need to place here._

_What I want to tell you right now, are my emotions, thoughts and memories. I have no one to talk to, no one to express myself with. Right now, despite the smiling faces of my aunt, classmates and neighbors, I still feel alone. I know it's wrong to enclose myself while they are desperately trying to get in. I know it's wrong that I am shutting the door and they are opening it. I know how very wrong I am. _

_But I can't help it._

_This place, Konoha, I never imagined coming back here. I didn't think/want to come back here because it held too much: memories, emotions, and pain. _

_And here I am, writing a letter early in the morning. I'm sleepy, I WANT to sleep, but I can't. My head is spinning with the faces of people. These people, would you like to know them? Well I'll place them as they come into thought. But, no matter how many times I write them or mention them, know that I love them equally well. I shall reiterate them in order and in the way you can understand._

**XxxxxxX**

_ It was around noon. Akane oba san encouraged me to explore the village, so I did what she said and took a stroll. I passed through several stores and befriended some of the storeowners there. They were all nice stores, but among all of the stores, my favorite store was the bookstore. Yes, I probably sound like some nerdy bookworm especially since I had three favorite spots in Konoha:_

_The bookstore—it held the newly released books. _

_The library—it housed some of the best classics and had older books._

_The bridge—it was a good place to think. _

_So what do you think of me now? Probably a nerdy bookworm who likes to spend her time reading and standing on the bridge for long hours just thinking, am I right?_

_It's funny how that was her first impression of me too. _

_Who was 'her'? _

_This 'her' was my first and current best friend in the village: Yamanaka Ino. She's amazing! She knows her flowers very well—her family owns the Yamanaka flower shop—and she's really nice. _

_I met her on that afternoon Akane oba san asked me to go around the village (I mentioned that earlier, ne?). _

_I entered Konoha Park unconsciously and found myself standing below the tree where Itachi nii san saw me. I stared at the tree for a few good moments reminiscing before someone snickered behind me. _

_I turned and saw Ami. That malicious grin, the purple hair, it was definitely Ami. She was a classmate in pre-ninja academy; that's why I knew her. She was smiling evilly at me—at ME! _

_She pushed on me so hard that I felt mysekf tumbling over. I felt a sharp pain on my back as it hit the tree. The girl gave another snicker then flicked my forehead. I gave a muffled 'ow' before she roared in laughter. I suddenly found myself glaring at her and thinking what I had done to offend her._

"_You're the new girl right?" She was a bit taller than me, and probably older. Her eyes were a dark brown—typical eyes—and her lips curled into a smirk. It wasn't like Itachi nii san's, it held a sinister intent to it. Oh, I believed she embodied the pain I wanted to avoid in this village. It occurred to me that she was giving me pain because she just wanted to—because she _enjoyed_ it. And I believed that was the worst kind…_

_When I didn't answer her, she slammed me against the bark of the tree, "OY! Answer me! Or…don't tell me…you don't talk?" Her hand grabbed my bangs up and tugged them up. I squirmed in her grasp, tears forming in my eyes._

"_Oy, you have a big forehead!" She laughed. Two other laughs echoed the purple-haired girl's. Two girls, about her height and age, had come to her side and were now laughing with her. "Oh yeah she does!" _

_I felt tears well up in my eyes. I didn't want to cry anymore, but they really embodied evil. With their mocking laughter, the piercing stares…too painful. She tugged my hair higher and I whimpered, much to my own frustration. _

"_Let go!" I clawed on her arms trying to get away from her grasp. _If only nii sans were here. _No, I shouldn't call out to them. They weren't there, and I would have to live it. Live with this torture? Would I be able to?_

"_Or what?" She gave a dark chuckle. _

_She thrust forward then slammed me back. The bark of the tree had scarred my backside. I could feel the sharp hinges pierce my skin with scratches. I gave a muffled shriek, and pulled my hands to grasp my own hair. "You're protecting your hair? What, you think you're cute or something? Well, you're NOT cute." _

_My eyes were watering from the agony. My hair was being pulled so hard that I thought it would rip from my skull. I squirmed some more. I bit my lip; I was trying so hard not to let her get to me._

_She was going to get tired of me, that was what I believed, and I would be free from her grasp… _

…_But she didn't._

_She kept throwing words at me to dampen my hopes. She called me 'weak', 'big forehead', 'not cute', and more painful words I didn't want to remember. _

_As I write, I realize that the word 'pain' is very redundant, isn't it? I've written it so many times in the span of when I began and am currently writing, and I believe you'll be seeing more of that word. I start to wonder if Pain otou sama's name is embedding itself inside of me seeing as I've been writing the word over and over. Chances are, it was embedding in me. I'm unconsciously writing his name for kami's sake._

_I felt hopeless, whimpering and cowering beneath that purple-headed girl. I thought I would endure a day's length of that torture—I knew she would get tired, but it hurt so much. I wanted it to go away already. _

_That's when she came. _

_With her big blue eyes and short blonde hair, she came in, bold and ready to strike. She scolded them, something along the lines of them not being cute, them being bullies and having no life. I don't really remember because my head was spinning with the heat. I do remember seeing the blond throw in some flowers into her mouth and saying she looked like a vase._

_The next thing I knew, I was thrown down and the three girls left muttering inaudible words to me. Then I cried. I cried because I was powerless. I cried because the pain on my forehead, scalp and back stung. I cried because I realized what they had said were true. I WAS weak, I WAS not cute, and I WAS all those other words. I tried my best to wipe my tears away, but they just kept coming. _

_I felt a quick brush on my shoulder. I turned and I saw the blond girl, who I later learned was named Ino, smiling at me. I watched her for a while before her smile saddened. She placed a hand on my head to soothe me. "Stop crying, what they said isn't true." I doubted her because I strongly believed their words were true._

_I felt her brush my bangs up. Unlike the purple- headed girl, Ino's was just a gentle touch. "Hey…you're cute." _

_My hiccupping and sobbing was done by then. I stared at her in disbelief. "Is that why you keep your bangs down? To hide your forehead?" _

_Then it dawned on me, I subconsciously let my bangs settle down and cover my forehead. I had forgotten all about the headband Itachi nii san gave me. So…being away from Itachi nii san caused me to do this? Caused me to unknowingly hide my forehead like I did before? _

_I gave her a small nod before she giggled and pulled out something. It was a maroon headband. I gazed at the thing for a few seconds. I was so sure I lost that. "Here, you can have it." Ah so it was hers. Hold on, it was hers? Why was she giving it to _me?

_She raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "I'll put it on you." _

_Her hands made their way to my nape. Then, she stretched the band over the top of my head, brushing a few strands of my hair away, and then knotted the fabric. I felt my hand graze the top of the knot. "I'm Ino!" She chirped with a friendly smile. _

_For a second, I thought that I couldn't trust her. But, she did save her and that was worth her name. "Sakura." I told her. It made her grin wide. Later, I found out that we took pre-ninja academy school together. From then on, we've been the closest of friends._

**XxxxxxX**

_That was when I met and made my first friend in Konoha. Don't get me wrong. Before I went with Itachi nii san, I had friends. But they were those without faces. The ones you would play with for an hour, remember their name while you played, then forget their names the second they went home. But Ino was different. I would always remember her face. How could I not? _

_The blond and I stuck together after that incident. Ino told me that she often saw me in the bookstore or on the bridge and thought I was some kind of brooding nerdy bookworm. Haha!_

_Ino then served as my bridge-way to several people. I got to know them, got to play with them, talked to them, and before I knew it, my pensive self was gone. I had returned to the same cheerful girl I was. For the first time, in a long time, I felt like I belonged to the village—belonged with the cheerful children that ran with me. I had Ino to thank for that. She reached into my closed up shell and pulled me out and taught me things._

_She was my best friend and I loved her very much. _

**XxxxxxX**

_Love…what is love? I've read several novels about it. They say you get warm fuzzy feelings when you're around the person you love. People in love kiss, hug, and it all sounds so magical._

_I've used the word 'love' a lot of times. I told my mother, when she was alive, that I loved her. I greeted my father in the morning, when he was sane, with an 'I love you' and ended the day with the same greeting to Akane oba san. _

_But this love that was found in fairy tales and romance novels, they seemed so different from the love I know. They say you blush, get hot and tremble when the person is in the vicinity. Why, I've never felt that way around anyone. Well, there was this one time Itachi nii san leaned close and I felt hot all over my face. But…he's my nii san and sure, I love him. However, it's not in that way. He's my nii san, and I love him _as _a nii san…_

_Though, in truth, I didn't know when and what was love. I bet I couldn't tell love when it hit me, or so I thought. I needed to know. I wanted to know—was desperate to know. So I asked myself questions everyday._

_More or less, the questions in my head can be summed up to three: 'How do you meet him?', 'How do you know when you've fallen for someone?', and 'How do you know what kind of man you're looking for?'_

_As I sit here writing, I try to go over these questions and answering them one at a time. _

_How do you know what kind of man you're looking for? For me, he's got to have looks, smart, cool, and absolutely perfect. Does such a man exist? I don't think so. _

_The men in those books were described as gorgeous. From all the good-looking men in those novels, I found the "raven black hair, dark black eyes, tan skin, tall, powerful, with a deep voice and stoic" character the most attractive. So I guess I could add those in the 'what do you look for in a man' part. _

_I moved on to, how do you know when you've fallen for someone? I answered it as that hard hammering in your heart, the way your breath feels short, hot and heavy, the fluttering of butterflies in your stomach whenever you're near him. Just like in those heart-warming novels and shoujo mangas._

_And lastly, how do I meet him? _

_Well…I couldn't really answer that…_

…_at first. _

_Because I'll tell you how I _methim_. _

**XxxxxxX**

_Ino had gone home early. It was a cloudy late afternoon. The sky was aglow with different colors ranging in gray and orange. (It was a about to rain)It was a perfect setting, a mixture of darkness and light, merged for one single moment when you found _the one.

_I was walking down the pathway home and decided to take a detour through the training grounds. The sky was getting darker by the minute and it gave a rumbling sound that I was all too familiar with. I remember the night that shinobi came and disturbed the peace between my nii sans and I. _

_For a while, I kept thinking about my nii sans. I was unaware of my surroundings and didn't even know that I had taken a wrong turn. As soon as I realized where I was, I found myself deep within the training grounds of the village. I sighed, a little frustrated that I let my thoughts get to me, and turned around. I was walking back the way I came when I heard several thuds. _

_I quickly hid in the bushes—instincts—and looked around. From the corner of my eye, I saw a fast blur. I turned away in disbelief then I blinked. Then I looked once more and focused my eyesight so I could better see. _

_ Then…there he was, in all his splendor. _

_Question 1: How do you know what kind of man you're looking for? The boy that stood before me fit my description _perfectly._ He was tall, tan, and his hair was of raven black color. _

_He turned to face me as if seeing a presence and shot a Kunai straight at me. I squealed—I don't know whether I should regret doing so—and in an instant he was aware of me (at least the kunai didn't hit me. It hit inches to my right. I think he actually aimed it.) Later, I realized that he shot the kunai and missed me on purpose. So he had sharp skills._

_I heard his voice; it was deeper than boys around my age and OH how it lulled me into a trance. He called out to me, "Come out, I know you're there." What was I going to do? Run? He could've just thrown another kunai and kill me instantly. So, I did what I thought was logical to do, I stepped out of the bushes. _

_I brushed the edge of my skirt and lifted my eyes to look at him. Then my eyes met his. They were a dark obsidian color—like an infinite pool into oblivion. But, it wasn't a scary kind of oblivion. I felt like…like I could've sunk into them and stayed there. Because there he was, my perfect man, right in front of me. I would've thrust a kunai into myself thinking it was a genjutsu. _

_His eyebrows furrowed then he spoke again, "Oh, a girl, what do you want?" If it weren't for the way his stoic demeanor made me fall into a trance, I could've hit him for the comment. _

_But his stoic demeanor did put me in a trance. The way his eyes were cold, piercing, and soft at the same time. His face was like a kami-given gift. The way the sides of his face curved, the perfect proportions, the rigid yet smooth way the skin was placed on it—perfect. And his hair, kami, was like it was created from finely made silk. _

_I stood there gawking at him for kami knows how long. I realized this and quickly snapped back to reality. I felt blood surge through my body. My face felt hot and my knees were getting weak. My heart, while it felt like it rose to my throat, was hammering fast and hard. Then I began asking myself, my heart was hammering fast and hard against my chest? My breath was short and felt hot and heavy? And my stomach churned like a million butterflies were inside them? Then the obvious hit me. _

_Question 2: how do you know you've fallen for someone? Need I say more? I knew it. I was in love with this boy. And that answered my third question: how do I meet him? My answer? _

_I just met him._

_He looked me up at down before he turned and walked away. Though, it was painful to see his backside fade when I didn't want him it to disappear just yet._

**XxxxxxX**

_ Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke._

_Kami, I could've written his name over and over again. He was drop-dead gorgeous! He filled my thoughts every waking moment. And when I was asleep, he would enter my dream world instead. I once dreamt of him holding me close and whispering into my ear with that deep voice of his. Oh kami…_

_ Everything was perfect. I had a best friend that I so dearly loved, and was in love with this boy who was just as perfect. _

_ But sooner or later, this perfection was meant to break because I remembered that nothing is perfect._

_ And my fears were soon realized when things started crumbling and spiraling before me._

**XxxxxxX**

_ A month since I fell in love with Sasuke, I learned something that shook the very walls of my heart. _

_ Sasuke was an orphan. Well, at least NOW he was. I heard from the oba sans in the stores that Sasuke's clan had been slaughtered a year ago and he was all alone in his house. (He moved away from his compound and into an apartment that he paid with his clan's money)_

_Kami, how can someone, so perfect, deserve that fate? He should be aching on the inside, shouldn't he? But he didn't look to be so. His eyes always held that stoic gaze, and his gait was tall and proud. He looked perfectly normal. And yet, as I watched his every move, I came to compare the Uchiha survivor with one other man who had dark eyes and dark hair like him: Itachi nii san._

_ I had been so caught up with Sasuke that I failed to notice the resemblance between the two. Odd. The only difference was that Itachi nii san was older, his face and body was more mature, and he was quieter than Sasuke. Where Sasuke was stoic, Itachi nii san was emotionless. If Sasuke had softened features, Itachi nii had rigid features. In all other words, Itachi nii was more of an older, more mature, harder version of Sasuke. _

_ I hit myself. Why should I compare these two? They aren't in any way related. It must've been a mere coincidence—yup, a simple, with-no-connection-what-so-ever coincidence. _

**XxxxxxX**

_ Four weeks until I entered advance Ninja academy, I found myself with strange feelings rising inside of me. And it struck me as odd because it happened whenever I was around Ino. Specifically, it happened every time Ino did something amazing. It hurt, and I asked myself why. _

_ So I consulted with myself, which even I found strange, and searched the creases of my mind on the answer. Life sure has a way of giving irony, doesn't it? I found the answer after a few brooding minutes, and I didn't like it: _

_ .Jealous. _

_ I was jealous._

_ I was jealous…of Ino! _

_ Irony it is indeed. _

_ From then on, I spent an entire week deviating myself from her. I was afraid that I would say or do something that would end our friendship. I was afraid to lose her—my only friend. But these feelings were unsettling. I found a reason why I was feeling so. It was because Ino, in all aspects, was better than me—as a woman, as a girl, as a friend, as a daughter, as a being. She was talented in many areas. She was a prodigy when it came to flower arranging, she was demure in her own bold way, and she came from a notable shinobi clan. _

_ So I kept away from her and pretended like I was always busy, praying that she didn't find out about my, er, issues._

_ But things took a definite toll when Ino found me. I was hesitant at first, but I decided to quit with the act and play with her. She asked me if I was alright, and I nodded. She smiled, her smile always assured me, and hugged me. We always hugged each other when something was wrong. So I hugged her back hoping the disdainful feeling would go away. _

_ For a while, I was fine. We would play normally, she would teach me things, and I would slowly try to pick up what she taught me._

_Once, I accidentally let a part of my jealousy slip out. I had opened my big mouth and said she was really good with flower arranging and wished I could be like her. And that, in comparison to her, I was a weed._

_I expected her to tell me that I would never be good enough like what the other girls did—and kami knows why I taught she would do that—instead, she gave me a smile. She told me that I, one day, would become like her because whereas Ino would have been the prettiest flower around, Sakura was a bud. A bud that was just waiting for the right moment to bloom into a beautiful flower and Ino said this was so because my name was Sakura. Cherry Blossom. She told me, "A flower has no meaning until it blooms…"_

_I felt ashamed of myself. I am certainly a bad person. When I had been jealous of Ino the whole time, she felt like I had great potential. _

**XxxxxxX**

_Two weeks left until school, and I hated myself. _

_I thought my jealousy had been cured—and I treated it like some kind of disease—but it wasn't. _

_I couldn't believe that I was actually succumbing to this jealousy. I started having dark thoughts about Ino—sometimes to the point where I scare myself. I'm scared, really, I don't want to think of Ino in this way. She's my friend, I shouldn't be thinking of ways of how to embarrass her. Yes, that's what my thoughts were about. They were all ways on how to bring the girl down—and it dearly frightened me. _

_And then, a few days ago, my life started taking an uncontrollable spin. It all started when that morning when Ino, the children and I were playing a game of truth or dare. Eventually, it was my turn. I chose, how I regret it, truth. _

_This one girl, she was a sweet girl but now I forget her name and face, popped the question that bore a crack inside of me: "Do you like Uchiha Sasuke?" _

_I froze as a small blush crept up to my face. Then the girl laughed meekly and said, "So you _do_ like him?" I gave no answer and felt my knees buckle beneath me._

_It wasn't the fact that they, the other kids, were laughing. It was the fact that out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ino NOT laughing. She was frowning at me with her eyebrows crinkled. I felt my heart stop for a second before it began pumping in a faster rhythm. _

_Ino turned away and I ran after her. I was afraid, so, so, very afraid—of her, of what would happen, but mostly, I was scared of myself. Kami, if I didn't know any better, I felt slightly proud of myself. I slightly felt satisfied that I had admitted my love before her. And I feared what would become of everything._

_I raced after her, through the fields, through the shops. Then Ino ran inside the flower shop and closed the door behind her. Kami, I was too slow. When I reached the door, it was locked._

_I banged on the door screaming words of apologies. But no one replied to me. I slumped down to the ground and sat there cursing myself. My aunt later found me and took me home. It was only later that I poured out my heart to Akane oba san. She listened intently, and I was glad she did. When I had finished, she asked me if I really loved Sasuke. I nodded in response to her question and she gave me a playful smile. _

_She then told me about love and how one can find it in the most surprising places. She told me how she once fell in love with a man who she met on the way to a date her parents arranged for her. She also told me stories of how love can uplift many people. _

_She told me of her story with a fateful encounter in the green hill and how she fell in love with an artist there. (And how she hated artists)_

_Then of course, there were stories about how love could bring about one's downfall. In this story, she didn't tell me the names or who the people were, but I knew who they were. They were obviously my parents. Why, the way her eyes were distant and they way her smile was sad was enough to give away everything. _

_Then she turned to me after a long time and said, "Sometimes, you have to fight for who and what you love." A smile graced her lips. _

**XxxxxxX**

_ There was no mistake that her statement left me to contemplate some more. By now, my head was hurting with all the questions that filled it. But she had point. To fight for the one you love, to protect those who are precious to you, it all sounded noble didn't it? _

_And I began wondering if I had what it took to protect those I treasure. Then I stopped thinking because my brain was deeply fried and I was terribly sleepy._

**XxxxxxX**

_ Finally, Ninja Academy begun yesterday. But, I'll explain it later on. Right now, I needed to sort out everything between us—Ino and I. I sent her a letter, on the first day of the academy, to meet her in Konoha Park—for it held so many memories already. So I stood there waiting and wondering she would even come._

_I was dressed in a maroon dress with a somewhat turtleneck (you couldn't really call it that because it parted in he middle). The sleeves were a quarter down my arm with the Haruno symbol on each sleeve._

_I waited and waited and time seemed to go slower with each passing second. After a while, I was getting impatient. Now I know why Sasori nii sama didn't like being made to wait._

_And then, when I thought she wasn't going to show up, she appeared. _

_Clad in a purple attire, she stared at me before smiling. "Sakura…" I gave her a downcast smile. "Ino, I'll be sure to win Sasuke's heart." _

_That's when it began, our friendship turned into rivalry. And from that day on, we tried our to out-best one another in different areas. Whether it was in looks, skills, knowledge, abilities, we were always proving that we were better than the other. _

**XxxxxxX**

_Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, hours into days and days into months. Time was—has always been—truly unfathomable. The cycles continued and it was impossible to really keep track of the time. Sometimes time was fast, sometimes time was slow. _

_For me, it went in a moderate pace. The only question I had, ever since I had turned Ino's and my friendship into something else, was how to spend it._

_ And at times when I needed a shoulder, I would stand on the bridge contemplating on my problems. When I wanted to run away, I went to the bookstore and buried my nose in some book I'd taken an interest in. And when I was bored, I would fill my head with knowledge in the Konoha library. Most of the time, I'd bring a newly bought book and read it on the bridge just thinking to myself (and pretending to read so nobody thought I was weird)._

_ It was, during my, er, ruminating periods, that I discovered something in myself. I discovered a hidden personality inside of me. 'She' embodied my inner thoughts—my _real_ thoughts. For a while, I pondered on the advantages and disadvantages of such a separate personality. Later, I just let it be. I thought that having a personality that revealed my subconscious would be a good way to ease the numerous thoughts that were entering swirling inside my head._

_ I took note of the second personality's disposition. Unlike the usual me, 'she' had a more violent and aggressive nature. I did remember being oddly satisfied at Ino's sadness a while before. I figured it was this second Sakura that made me feel so. Thus, I called her 'Inner Sakura'._

_ Another thing I realized from the second personality was that she cursed—a lot. I felt that there was a second Hidan nii san in my head. Then, overtime, I was influenced by the emergence of the subconscious personality, the 'inner Sakura'. How so, you ask? For starters, I freely cursed now. Oh how Hidan nii san would be proud of me if he heard me. When I realized that I had cursed, and my lips were tingly with the foreign feeling, I felt guilt pierce my heart._

_A memory came to mind, and it was of Kakuzu nii san. I briefly remembered what I told him a little over two years ago, before I was taken to Konoha. I had told him that I wouldn't let myself be influenced by Hidan nii san's cursing. In all its technicality, I didn't let myself be influenced by Hidan nii san. Instead, I let myself be influenced by…myself. Once again, irony finds its way into my life. _

**XxxxxxX**

_ I'll move on to my academy life. On the first day of school, it surprised me to find the people whom I would be spending my schooling there. The first one I recognized was Ino. _

_How could I not? She approached me and said she didn't want to be in the same room as me. _

_The second I recognized was my drop-dead gorgeous Uchiha Sasuke! I was so happy to be in the same class (I was squealing on the inside and my inner Sakura was outrageously straightforward on taking advantage of this). I approached him and asked if he remembered me. His eyes just fixated themselves on me (oh those wonderful dark gray-almost black eyes) and gave some throaty sound that sounded like a 'hn'. I didn't know what to make it of it so I just giggled like mad. _

_After that, I realized it wasn't just Ino and I who were after Sasuke. (For they were crowding outside the room) Hundreds (okay so I'm a little exaggerating) of fan girls were outside our room just to steal a look at Sasuke. _My _Sasuke! I gave a huff before I heard other male voices._

_I turned to them and I remembered that the class was co-ed and Sasuke wasn't the only guy. I just sighed in relief that there were little fan girls in our class (Just 5-10 more girls had their eyes on him, no big deal, ne?) Those boys were hardly attractive. The one who had spoken and said 'troublesome' was named Nara Shikamaru, and the one next to him eating a bag of chips, Akimichi Choji. _

_Bark!_

_I actually thought that I had to check my ears because there was no way in hell that dogs were allowed into the school. Yup, I was wrong. Inukuza Kiba, part of the clan that bred ninja dogs, was holding his dog Akamaru._

_Then when I thought that our class couldn't get bizarre enough, it did. There in the corner of the room was a guy who looked utterly creepy. He had black glasses on and hid half of his face with the collar of his shirt. I learned that creepy guy's name was Aburame Shino, part of the clan that used insects (gross)._

_Now when I said there were 5-10 fan girls of Sasuke, I meant that the rest of the females in class were fan girls of Sasuke—except one. _

_This girl was safe because she didn't have any feelings what-so-ever towards _my _Sasuke. She was shy, timid, and quiet. This girl was named Hyuuga Hinata. It was amazing! An actual Hyuuga in my class! I just heard of them from the villagers. They said the Hyuuga was just next to the Uchiha clan in terms of prestige and power. Now, with the Uchiha clan, er, gone, they were the leading doujutsu-user clan. _

_Oh yeah my class was weird, with all the mixture of different clans and types of people. But, they were an okay class. We'd somehow get along—at least I get to study in peace._

"_NARUTO!"_

_Again, irony strikes in my life. _

_Blonde, blue-eyed, and an absolute idiot: Uzumaki Naruto. He was the number 1 troublemaker in all of Konoha. Well, I can understand. He was an orphan but unlike Sasuke, he grew up without parents. Sure I pitied him, but his stupidity took that away._

_Oh how that guy pissed me off—sometimes the rest of them did to. Shikamaru complained a lot, Kiba was so damn noisy, Choji kept munching away, Shino was…creepy, and Ino, she was just Ino. I didn't want to admit it, but now I know what Kakuzu nii san said to me before: This room is full of idiots. Of course, even then I had excluded some people from his comment. Back with my nii sans, it was Itachi nii san who I defended. Here, it was my Sasuke-kun. _

_Oh my, I compared them again. I should really stop doing that._

_Academy life, overall, was a smooth sailing. My continuous battles with Ino and efforts to attract Sasuke, allowed me to have the top grades in class (second to Sasuke, of course, he was a genius. The called him a prodigy you know) I was so happy when they handed out the test results because my paper was always under Sasuke's!_

_But, despite my happiness, there was always someone who ruined them. Knucklehead Naruto, the failure, announced that he had a crush on me. Who announces their crushes? Oh right, I did that. _

_So yes, this was my life for the next months (until I graduated). Get the high grades, avoid Naruto, beat Ino in everything, avoid Naruto more, attract Sasuke, and avoid Naruto. Oh life was fun. (I'm being sarcastic, in case you don't get the hint)_

**XxxxxxX**

_Today, I am heading to my last day of Ninja Academy. I'm really nervous, despite my cheerful façade, because today is also the picking of genin teams. We had our final tests yesterday and now Iruka sensei is going to be announcing who will be on what teams. _

_ I entered the academy and took my usual seat and did my usual morning routine: Stare at Sasuke. I can't say I'm a stalker (at least I don't have volumes of albums of Sasuke doing random things. Those other girls had a volume separately for pictures of him sitting, standing, brooding and walking. There was even sleeping, eating, training, running, fighting and taking a shower). I'm more of…an avid fan. _

_ Iruka sensei walked into the room, holding a sheet of paper. He was grinning from ear to ear; his usual smile. Everyone waited for him to begin. Of course, he started off with the usual: congratulations! You've graduated from Ninja Academy! Then he went on to announcing the teams. _

_ I got the biggest shock of my life because these were the teams: Ino-Shikamaru-Choji (ha in your face Ino-pig!), Hinata-Kiba-Shino (good luck Hinata! Though I wonder why she was glancing Naruto's way when she was called). So, do you notice anything? Hm? Did you notice that certain people weren't called? Yes that's right! (And my inner just said Shannaro!) _

_ This was my team: Sasuke-Sakura! Yes I'm teamed with Sasuke! I glared at Ino who was gawking at me, but Sasuke didn't even glance my way. He's so cold, yet that coldness just added to his sexy being. Ah but it was a 3-man team, so I bet you're wondering who's the third? Gah who else was left? Uzumaki Naruto—much to my dismay. _

_ Gah why couldn't irony leave me alone for once? Well, at least I was with Sasuke, and that was enough for me._

**XxxxxxX**

_ We met our teacher today. He was an odd one. He was mysterious, strong, a little handsome (though he cannot compare to _my_ Sasuke) and perverted. I justified this with the book he was always reading, Icha Icha Paradise. Our gray haired, mask covered mouth, headband covered, Kakashi sensei. _

_ He was always late, even in our first meeting when Naruto played a prank on him—the poor guy. Then he'd always make up some excuse like he was helping some pregnant woman cross the street or he got lost on the road of life…but no one falls for that. _

_ Yeah but my sensei was _way _weirder than I thought. He made us take this 'bell test'. We had to take the bells in his hands which we all know would've been hard seeing as he was a former anbu and we were freshly graduated genin._

_ In the end, we passed. Hard to believe? It all had something to do when I pitied Naruto and gave him my lunch. I was on a diet so it was alright with me. Sasuke followed after me then our sensei appeared out of nowhere and said we passed. He explained to us that teamwork was an important factor and thus with the display of kindness (pity), we passed. It makes sense though, no matter how odd it was._

**XxxxxxX**

_ After I found out about our teams, I met up with Ino. I told her that I wouldn't lose her anymore, especially since Sasuke was in my team. Ino was smirking at told me she wouldn't lose in everything. _

_ I dug my hand in my pocket and pulled out a maroon ribbon. Whereas my previous one was lost, I was giving this one freely away. She stared at it before her brows curved down and the ends of her lips tugged to a bigger smirk. _

_ I declared our official rivalry and we both went our separate ways. In some ways, it was painful, in some ways, it seemed right. My aunt told me to fight for my precious ones and this was my way of fighting for her—by fighting her. _

_ How can I protect her when I'm living in her shadow? No, I won't let that happen. I was going to rise, be better than her, and then protect her like she did long ago._

**XxxxxxX**

_ My heart felt broken, somewhat. But I'm glad, because I saw a side of my dark prince. Sasuke appeared and sat next to me, one morning. He asked what I thought about Naruto and I said what I thought of him: Annoying. I just wanted to let Sasuke know that I had no interest in the blonde, if ever he thought that. _

_ Oh but this was a chance given to me. I leaned into him and puckered my lips, eyes closed. I asked him to kiss me, but he blushed and ran away. I never thought Sasuke was such a shy person. _

_ Later, Sasuke passed by. I quickly ran up to him, thinking he had returned from his embarrassed flight, and tried to continue what we were doing earlier. But, I let my mouth slip and said Naruto was annoying and said it was the result of having no parents. _

_ Then he turned to me, after a while of trying to ignore me (or so I believed he was trying to ignore me) and told me that I didn't know what the solitude felt like. I didn't know what it was to lose parents. And…I was annoying._

_ The latter struck me the most. He was acting so weird. One moment he was nice and a softie, and now he was all cold and uptight again. Then he walked away. For a moment, I wanted to scream and say that I too knew how he felt, too lose parents, though I had my aunt. But I kept it myself. After all, he had lost everyone, and I still had my aunt. _

**XxxxxxX**

_ For a while, Team Kakashi did various D-class missions such as finding lost cats._

_ Naruto was getting noisier. He was raving about not being challenged at all (even if he had gotten in tons of trouble in the low missions because he tried to out-best Sasuke. Doesn't he know that no one could out-best Sasuke!)_

_ Thus, we were sent on an C-rank mission to protect a VIP in the land of waves. Setting out, we brought the old man, Tazuna, to his house with a little side disturbance that didn't last too long. _

_ Kakashi sensei took the opportunity as training time, so we did some chakra control exercises. We had to focus chakra onto our feet and climb the tree without hands. I got it in one go. It was fairly easy you just had to feel power in your feet then try to keep that power in place. However, it turned out that I was the only one who found it easy. Sasuke (oh my gosh!) and Naruto (figures) were having a hard time. _

_ After a while, Naruto came to me. He asked me how to do it and I gave him some pointers. After that, Naruto started climbing higher and higher on the tree. I didn't know what happened after that because I headed back to the house with Kakashi sensei. It was only later that the two came back beaten up but satisfied. It seems that the two had reached the top and were now exhausted with chakra loss. I thought they would rest after that, but the two started getting competitive and had a contest on who could eat more rice. _

_ I thought that we could return safely the next day, but I was wrong. Turns out that 'little side disturbance', wasn't so little after all. Two rogue ninjas named Zabuza and Haku appeared. Our C-rank mission became an A-rank mission._

_ As a stood in front of Tazuna san, I watched Kakashi sensei, Naruto and Sasuke fight the two. I felt so helpless. I couldn't do anything. And even when they were defeated, the rogue ninjas, I felt so weak because I could do nothing but cry. I cried because for a moment, I thought Sasuke was dead. Until he woke up and told me I was heavy. (I need to go on another diet)_

**XxxxxxX**

_ After a long day, we returned back to Konoha. When I came home, I received a hug from my aunt and asked how my mission was. As I told her about it, she had a mixture of emotions. Though, she settled to another bone-crushing hug._

_ Days seemed to pass by quietly. I trained with Naruto and Sasuke almost everyday. And in my small periods of free time, I would read._

_ Everything was peaceful, and I was content. Yet, every once in a while, my thoughts would drift back to my nii sans. I wonder, how were they? I bet Deidara nii chan and Sasori nii sama are arguing about art again. Kisame nii san would be drinking sake, Kakuzu nii would be counting the money, Hidan nii would be cursing. But Itachi nii san… what was he doing? Probably reading on his bed. I believe I picked up my love for reading from him. Itachi nii san, if he wasn't reading, is probably training. _

_ I sigh thinking of those days and wonder if…I'll ever see them again. I wonder if they think of me as much as I think of them. I wonder if they'll come for me...Probably not. I wonder if they worry about me especially since…_

_ …I'm entering the Chuunin Exam two weeks from now…_

**XxxxxxX**

_A week and a half until Chuunin exams (because Kakashi sensei recommended us). I'm just really glad to be back home. That C to A-rank mission gave us hell. But, despite the wounds, I'm quite thankful that our C-rank became an A-rank. It gave me a wake up call. Also, because of the need of working together, Team Kakashi has grown closer than ever. In truth, I've gained better respect for Naruto, and Sasuke's just proven how perfect he is. (As if I didn't know that already)._

_ After that mission in the land of waves, the third kept giving us lower class missions. (Of course Naruto was unsatisfied, but he didn't have a choice). Naruto and Sasuke would be training right now. They both started training on their own the second they got back. Well, Sasuke anyway. Naruto trained the next day because the first thing he did was get ramen. I swear, that boy's obsessed with the thing. _

_ And what did I do when I got home _besides_ get a bone-crushing hug from oba san? I headed to the bookstore. Ever since that time Sasuke called me annoying, I have been studying harder on ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu. I didn't want to be annoying, but I wasn't good in terms of skills. So, I did what I did best—I read._

**XxxxxxX**

_ A week until the Chuunin exams, Kakashi sensei proposed training us. Well, it was mostly on teamwork. I noticed that skill-wise, we were able to synchronize with one another and strengthen our weaknesses. However, social-wise, we were terribly lacking. Naruto and Sasuke were annoyingly competitive. Though I now thought better about Naruto, he still annoyed me. (I'd give his empty head a few whacks once in a while for his stupidity) Oh but most of all, Sasuke. _

_He didn't talk to me, he didn't ask for help (I wish it was him asking instead of the blond), he doesn't even act like I exist! His coldness is appealing, yes, but this isn't the cold shoulder, this is far worse! This is a cold body! (If something like that exists)_

_Just a few days until the Chuunin exams. I'm a little nervous because I read that the Chuunin exam is a real hard exam! I read the probability of a fresh genin graduate to become a chuunin is—do you want to know? _

…_0% _

_Dear kami! Now I understand why Akane oba san gave me a tight squeeze earlier dinnertime when I told her I would be participating in the Chuunin exams. _

_Nii sans, if you can hear me, please wish me luck! _

**XxxxxxX**

**-So yes, the first installment in the Letters from an Angel arc. xD I apaologize if it's hard to 'digest'. xD My brain was wrecked? I actually tried creating another version, but this was better (the original). So, my dear readers, here you have Letters from an Angel. :D For better understanding: The letter starts out with a 10 year old Sakura. I hope that you understand that as the letter goes on, she is aging along with the events that she writes. So if you're confused with the fact that at the beginning she's young then she starts talking about being a genin (which she was 12) it's because she has aged already. I tried putting some time hints (like a week before…) so you could estimate where and when in the series this was. **

**-Please tell me if it's boring or something.**

**-I just want to say why I chose this kind of telling the time skip. For one, I wanted a way where Sakura's emotions were shown and what better way to do that then to make it in her point of view. Also, notice that she contemplates a lot. And, I also wanted to point out that Sakura's **_**not**_** so innocent (Oh the irony, ne?). While everyone thinks she is, she herself doesn't. She thinks that she is actually the exact opposite and with no one (ahem akatsuki) to keep her innocent, she starts changing into the personality she has in the series. :D Because if you look closely, sakura with the akatsuki is not the personality sakura has in the actual series. I use this opportunity to transform sakura. So, does my justification please you? XD **

**-This took so long to make. O-o Usually I'd spend an hour or two on a chapter, but this…holy crap this took 3 days! 2 for typing it and 1 for beta-ing. (I slightly have a life so…xD) I'm going to start taking long in updating from now on xD because from this point on, I need to blend the anime's reality with my fiction. xD God, 9000 words. O-o; I couldn't believe that I had typed that much. And I couldn't believe that I had to beta it. xD I read this thing 3 or 4 times. Hahaha. Oh well, I guess it comes with the 'job', ne? Well, I just hope you all enjoyed it in some way. **

**-The title: Well Spring Genesis. Wellspring is a literary form of beginning. It means source so it's like: source of origins. :3 I hope that explains it if you're wondering about it hehe.**

**-I notice I have avid readers who have been reading and commenting/reviewing since the prologue. To you guys, THANK YOU! :D You know who you all are :D Love you guys! :D**

**-Madam Obscurum "****People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That's how they define 'Reality.' But what does it mean to be 'correct' or 'true'? Merely vague concepts... their 'reality' may all be a mirage. Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs?****" (Uchiha Itachi)**


	9. Chapter 7: Letter from an Angel

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-Thank you for the encouraging reviews :D Although, I'm kind of sad that most of you guys choose to be silent. :3 Whatever feedback you give is fine with me as long as there is some…civility in the feedback :3 I am glad, though, that a lot of people have been putting my story on favorite and story alert. I am honored :3**

**-To xxxVanstarxxx: Was it too fast? Do you think I should've made the transition slower? **

**-I'm glad with the positive responses I got with my epistle chapter :3 **

**-Yes I'm back from the beach. XD I personally don't like the sun. =_=; I'm more of a rain person, yeah. I'd rather sit on the sand feeling the waves crash on my feet instead of swimming. .**

**-And to celebrate 50 reviews, here's a nice story update. xD It's a little something from returning to the beach (it did give me inspiration) and for my faithful reviewers who review every chapter. This chapter is dedicated to all of you :3 (7 is my favorite number so go figure haha)**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 7**

**~Letters from an Angel~**

**(Alpha's Omega)**

Haruno Sakura, 12 years old, sat on her oak desk. Her eyes were red and puffy—a sign of her late tears. It was a early evening, between 6 & 7 p.m. Pale green orbs were staring at a pile of papers. The first half was crumpled and looked aged while the second half looked recently touched. Her pale and trembling fingers slid over the handle of her drawer and pulled on it with a slow movement. She took out several piles of papers and took out a pink pencil elaborated with cherry blossom petals.

Eyes dull and red, skin paling in the moonlight, hair an unsaturated pink, knees numb from sitting, lip quivering, her fingers began making willowy silky movements. Graphite rubbed against the paper and looped into words.

**XxxxxxX**

_ I am devastated. I am shriveling on the inside and I don't know how to make it go away. It hurts…it hurts so damn much! I'm so mad and sad, oh, I just don't know what to do! This pain, I can't explain it in words. It's just…just…I'm crying again. I can't stop the tears. But I'm wallowing in self-pity not because of _what_ happened. I'm crying a river right now because it _did_ happen. And I, being so useless, couldn't do anything. _

_ Sasuke…he's gone. _

_ He left and went off to Orochimaru and I couldn't stop him. _

_ Maybe…maybe if I was stronger, I could've persuaded him to stay. I tried, you know, I tried so hard to make him stay. I told him everything, just talked without thought. I told him that I loved him very much. I told him that if he wanted to go so badly, I would go with him. Then I said something maybe I shouldn't have said. I said I would scream if he took another step. _Stupid_. Next thing I knew, he was behind me. I felt my heart stop as his breath brushed on my nape. Then he spoke, "Thank you." _

_ Then everything went black._

_ I woke up on the bench, the one where Sasuke acted strange when we became a team? _

_ When I came to my senses, I did the first thing I thought I would do. I went to our new Hokage, Tsunade sama, and told her about Sasuke. Later, I heard Shikamaru, the only one who passed the Chuunin exam, was ordered to retrieve him. _

_ I ran to Konoha gates to see them off. Then I saw them. They were the ones Shikamaru had gathered in the short amount of time: Naruto, Neji, Kiba, Chouji and himself. I went there in the hopes of wishing them luck and a safe trip but…when I saw them so determined…I…I just started crying—again. _

_ I begged all of them to bring Sasuke back. _

_ Naruto told me, with that big sheepish grin of his, that he would bring Sasuke back. So I tried my best to smile and they were off._

**XxxxxxX**

_ While Naruto and the others were on the retrieve Sasuke mission, I felt so lost. I wandered back and forth between the different places in Konoha. But, eventually, my tired feet felt numb so I sat down on the ground. _

_ It was then that I realized where I was. I was sitting right in front of the memorial stone. I let my hand brush the memorial stone, and eventually, my hand stopped on a name. It was the third's, the man who greeted me when I came to Konoha. _

_ Yes, he's dead. Orochimaru killed him when he invaded Konoha during the Chuunin finals. _

_ Orochimaru is this snake bastard who deserves to die. I hate him. He's the reason for all of this. During the second round, in the forest of death, he bit Sasuke. This caused a series of events that eventually led to him leaving for Orochimaru. _

_ But, there is no point in hating him, is there? It's not like my feelings will kill him. _

_ My fingers rubbed the name of the third. Then I started thinking, because my inner Sakura wasn't there to reveal my subconscious, what if one day Sasuke's name was written on that stone? _

_ My hand started shaking. No, Sasuke wouldn't—he couldn't. _

_ Right now, I am weak. Right now, I am incapable. Right now, I am worthless…_

**XxxxxxX**

_ Naruto and the others came back…without Sasuke. Naruto is bed-ridden with injuries and so are the others. When I saw them in that state I wanted to cry so hard, but I didn't want them to see me cry. I know they wouldn't want to be the cause of my tears. _

_ When Naruto woke up, he apologized. I can't believe this guy. He apologized for not being able to get Sasuke back. Naruto, he's so simple-minded. But, maybe that's what everyone needs right now. We need to look at the obvious instead of looking too deep into everything. _

_ I smiled, guilt wracking my heart. _

_There he was, injured and hospitalized from trying to stop Sasuke. And what have I been doing? I've been crying like some useless wet rag. That's it, no more. I won't be the weakling I am now. Naruto, I'm going to grow stronger!_

_I told Naruto that we would get him back, and this time…we would do it together. _

_Yes…I won't cry anymore. I've wasted so much tears. I've come to realize that it's pointless crying. This sadness is as useless as my hatred for Orochimaru. Feelings themselves cannot do anything. There needs to be words and actions along with them. _

**XxxxxxX**

_For the next few months, Naruto and I tried to retrieve Sasuke with every opportunity that we got. _

_However, none of our attempts were successful. But, this only drove us to push ourselves beyond the limit. _

_We were both doing it for our ninja way. Naruto's was keeping his promises, mine was protecting those I love. _

_Eventually, Naruto had to leave. He said he would be gone for a while: Training. He went with Jiraiya san because he was his new mentor. So I smiled and watched him leave. I have a feeling…that when he returns…he'll be a person on a completely different level. _

_That idiot…he'll do anything (except something evil) to out best Sasuke. _

_Sasuke…I wonder how he is._

**XxxxxxX**

_ What am I doing now? _

_ I am training under the Hokage, one of the sannin, Tsunade-sama. Yes, I am now her apprentice learning in her medical ways. Actually, I asked her to be my mentor after Naruto came back from retrieving Sasuke. And I'm glad I did. I've become stronger._

_ Earlier this morning, we went through several taijutsu drills such as avoiding gigantic boulders and trees. At first, I had a hard time reacting to the objects and was severely damaged. Shishou said it was a way of understanding why I needed to know medical techniques. _

_ And I understood what she meant. She basically meant that I should learn medical techniques to help me during combat. So I did. _

_ During my free time I work in Konoha hospital healing people. The rest of the time, I was training my taijutsu and dispelling genjutsu. _

_ Oh yes, I'm working myself to the bone. But, I don't mind. I'm happy. I don't feel so useless anymore. I am actually, in someway, _useful.

_And yet, I wonder if I am now at par with Naruto or Sasuke. I know very well that while I'm training like this, I'm sure they're training much harder. And that's exactly why I work myself to the bone and beyond. Because I don't want them to train harder than me…I soon find myself getting between the rivalry that exists between those two._

**XxxxxxX**

_ Oh my god! Today, Naruto came back! After three years of training, he's finally returned. And wow, he's changed a lot. _

_ He looked so mature, emotionally, mentally and physically. _

_ Or so I thought. _

_ No, he just _looked_ mature. But he was still the same knucklehead as before. And it sort of relieved me. Okay so the punch I gave him relieved me more. Haha. _

_ I'm glad. Everything's starting to be as it usually was. I had my brother back. He still didn't get over his crush on me but…I'm hoping he realizes it's not the kind he thinks it is. I'm thinking that that love, it's just a brother-sister thing. Haha. It's probably Hinata that he really likes._

_Hinata loves him. I was so stupid not to see! The way her clear pretty eyes would stare at Naruto and his every movement? I thought at first it was just a –oh-look-he's-so-weird- stare, but it wasn't. I'm glad someone saw something in Naruto, and I believe Hinata's the one for him._

**XxxxxxX**

_ We have a new team member, and he's an ass. His name is Sai and dammit I want to hit him so badly! _

_ Well, I did already. It's not what you think! He insulted Sasuke! I couldn't just stand around and listen to him insult Sasuke when he didn't know anything about him. And also, it was because he _so_ looked like Sasuke except he was paler and gave us fake smiles all the time. _

_ Then it struck me. I realized that, even after it registered on how much of an egotistical bastard Sasuke was, I defended him. It goes to show that when you love(d) someone, you can't hate him._

_ And through one simple realization, a series of other realizations came to me._

_ I don't know if I love him—no—I'm not sure of _how_ I love him._

_I was so caught up in getting him back that I didn't stop and think if I loved him. Probably not or maybe…it's gotten so much worse. Maybe I don't crush on him as much but what if this love…is a more mature love?_

_I'm sure that I _love_ him, but I don't know in what way. It's either I love him as a friend or I love him as something more. I'm afraid that it would turn out to be the latter. Because so much as Uchiha Sasuke is involved, he would never like me the way I like him. And I'm scared that if it turns out to be the latter, I would shrivel back to my old ways—the useless days. I don't want that. I don't want to be worthless Sakura anymore. And I'm determined, whether I love him or not, that I will NOT retort back and let love destroy me. _

_I will still keep the promise I told Naruto years ago: I'm going to bring Sasuke back no matter what!_

**XxxxxxX**

_ I'm shaking so badly it's annoying. Anbu scouts came back with some bone-chilling information. Orochimaru, that snake bastard, he's…dead. _

_ Well because of his rebirth technique, we're not so sure. But, there was a high probability because all of his sound ninja were dead except for Kabuto and himself. They were nowhere to be found. And because his experiments, they were left untouched—like he just left the place. Moreover, Sasuke, he wasn't there as well. _

_ Naruto and I went out with the Konoha 12 (er 9 if it excluded Sasuke, Naruto and I). We discussed of the possibilities of Orochimaru being alive and we concluded the following: 1.) He's alive and threw us off with the scene he left for the Anbu. 2.) He's dead, possibly killed. We were hoping it was the latter. _

_ However, if it was the second one, who on earth was strong enough to kill one of the sannin? Then Kakashi sensei interjected some information that could possibly be the answer. He told us about an organization composed of very strong shinobi. They possessed immense chakra and destructive abilities, and may well be able to defeat a sannin. _

_ They called that organization: Akatsuki. When I heard the name, I felt shivers go down my spine. _

_Akatsuki…_

…_Dawn_

_It was scary to think that such a group existed: a group of murderous bastards whose purposes were unknown. There was insufficient information on them and most of it came from rumors. This was all our files had on them: _

_-They were strong_

_-They were behind several killings and massacres_

_-Sasuke's brother, who he wanted to kill, was in the Akatsuki. _

_ His brother…no wonder Sasuke wanted to become strong. Now I understand. If ever I meet his brother, I'm pounding him into the ground. I'm going to smash his head in for turning Sasuke into an emotionless avenger. _

_ After the chuunin exams, I heard from Naruto that his brother came back. He was the one who hospitalized Sasuke by using his Sharingan on him (with a powerful genjutsu). He was unconscious for a long time. While Naruto got Tsunade sama, I watched over him. He struggled in his sleep, probably dreaming. But, it hurt because I could only watch him suffer. I tried my best to calm him down during those nightmares but…_

_ From that alone, I was sure. When we get Sasuke back, we're helping him kill that bastard. A person in such an organization who killed so many deserves to die. I can't even believe I'm saying this. I'm speaking with such hatred but it's burning inside. I can't help what I really feel. _

_ Just wait…Sasuke…we're going to bring you back—Whether you like it or not._

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura breathed out a sigh.

She was exhausted from working in the hospital. She had spent 100 hours in the hospital doing numerous shifts and only having breaks for a sip of coffee and a bite from her sandwich. And right now, she wanted to collapse on her bed. But, a certain loud blond interrupted her fall when he burst into her room.

"Sakura chan! Big news! It's-" he stared at Sakura whose position was awkward. She was in the middle of sitting down on her nice, _comfy_ bed. Did she mention comfy? Yes her soft, wonderful bed.

She quickly straightened herself and gave an annoyed sigh. "What is it?" She wanted to punch him so badly now, but resisted doing so.

Naruto, for a while, gawked at her. "Ah that is…" Then his eyes filled with worry when he remembered what he was about to tell Sakura. "AH! Sakura it's important! Sasuke!"

The pinkette spun her head around at the mention of her old crush and teammate, "Sasuke? What about him?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment before his lips parted, "He's back."

A wave of fear, anxiety and shock through passed her entire body. It felt like a ghost had entered and left her, then again this information was like a ghost in all its entirety. It was the ghost of her past, a haunting memory.

She stood there digesting what her blonde friend said. "He's…back…?"

Naruto nodded, "He's with baa baa chan!"

Sakura would've hit him for calling her shishou an old woman, but Sasuke being back was more important.

She broke into a run, Naruto behind her, heading towards Konoha Palace.

She raced up the steps and down through the hall. Sweat droplets were pouring down the side of her face. Her breath grew shorter with every hard breath she took in. She was breathing heavily for two reasons, she was running and Sasuke was just a door away.

She pushed the door open with her inhuman strength. The door gave a loud bang as it was forcefully opened. "Shishou!"

She panted, breathing in and out to settle her heart. But, her heart wasn't settling, not when she just heard that Sasuke was back. Did he come back on his own? Or was he found? Where was he?

"Sakura." Tsunade was propped up on her chair. Her elbows were rested on the top of the desk, fingers laced together.

"Shishou is it true?"

Tsunade stared at her for a while before she gave a sigh. Her hazel eyes glanced over on Sakura's left. That's when it hit Sakura.

Emerald eyes followed Tsunade's gaze. Sakura felt her earlier beating heart stop; her body froze, from fear or surprise she didn't know.

"Sa...su…ke…"

And there he was. The one person they had been searching for years. His hair, raven black as always, had grown longer. His charcoal eyes, emotionless and hardened, stared back at her. His skin was a little paler, just a few shades from his white shirt.

His shirt was open exposing the upper half of his chest. He wore the purple ribbon Sound ninja wore on his waist, with the knot tied in front instead of behind. He had navy blue pants and his slippers were nestled onto his feet. A sheathed katana hung on his side loosely.

For a while, Sakura stared at him, taking in Sasuke's figure still in disbelief that he was actually there. It was only when he spoke that she was snapped back into reality.

"Sakura." His voice was deeper, more velvety. The way her name rolled off of his tongue would've made her melt, but she wouldn't let it. She held her ground as her green eyes locked with his black ones.

"Teme!" Naruto burst into the room. Strange, Sakura thought he was just behind her.

"Naruto, loud as ever I see…dobe." Sasuke gave a grunt, the usual grunt he had since before.

Naruto gave a big grin before he lunged Sasuke into a headlock. "TEME! You're really back!" Sasuke pushed on Naruto trying to shove him off. "Dobe!"

Sakura gave a small smile. "Sasuke…" Her heart was still beating her fast. She could feel it beneath the palm of her hand as she held it up on her chest.

Sasuke turned to Sakura and gave a smirk. "Hn."

**XxxxxxX**

"So…you mean…?"

"Yes."

"That's great! Teme's glad to go then?"

"As long as-"

"Yeah baa baa chan I got you the first time."

Three figures made their way out of the Hokage's office. They filed out of Konoha palace and roamed the streets of Konoha.

"So, Teme's going to stay with Sakura chan? Just like what baa baa chan said right?"

Sakura gave a silent sigh before nodding, "Yes." Her fists were curled. Her head was throbbing with a headache that came from the earlier talk with her master. She wanted to hit something so badly. Now she just had to choose between the barrel, the wall, and Naruto. She chose the barrel instead and punched it, shattering it to pieces.

Naruto stiffened. His eyes grew big in shock then he shook, his head craning slightly at the violence Sakura had just shown. Just think about it, that barrel could've been him. "Sa- Sakura chan?"

Sasuke was watching her intently with his charcoal eyes.

The jade-eyed girl gritted her teeth as she recalled the agreement the hokage and them made.

_"Even if Sasuke has returned and claimed to return of his own-"_

_ "If he says so, then it must be!"_

_ "Uzumaki!" The fifth rubbed her temples with her index and middle finger. Like teacher-like student; Sakura was doing the same thing. _

_ "We cannot guarantee it." She glanced at the Uchiha. It was on purpose that she talked like he wasn't there. _

_ "So what do you suggest, Shishou?"_

_ Sasuke's eyes turned to Sakura. _Shishou? So Sakura trained under her…hn. _He watched her closely, eyeing her carefully._

_"Sakura, despite your _history_ with the Uchiha, I can trust you can't I?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at the woman who sat on her desk. _

_ "What are you trying to say?" Her gut was telling her that she wouldn't like what Tsunade was about to say. _

_ "Sakura, as my apprentice, I'm putting you in charge of Sasuke."_

_ A moment of silence, as what they say, there's always the calm before the storm._

_ "EH?" Sakura couldn't believe what she had just heard. She replayed her master's words in head, and even then she didn't believe it._

_ "So therefore, you must be with him at all times." _

_ "Shi-shishou…you can't-"_

_ "I am serious, Sakura. This is an order, both as your master and hokage." _

_ Her eye twitched. Her fists slammed against the desk hard, but not hard enough to crush it. It was just enough to leave fist marks on them. _

"_I refuse." Oh this was torture. She had too much on her mind. Sure, she was glad he was back, but she can't just suddenly slip in Sasuke in her to-do list because that to-do list was already overflowing with things-to-do. _

_ "Sakura." Tsunade's voice held a warning tone to it. _

_ "No. I work 100 hours in the hospital! I train the rest of the time! I _do not_ have time to baby-sit Sasuke!" _

_ Sasuke gave a grunt. Although, he was quite amused with the fact that Sakura had just left dent marks on the table with her bare fists—there was no chakra infused or did she have weapons in hand—he just wouldn't let this decision go without him having a say in the matter. He didn't need baby-sitting. Why couldn't they just believe that he came back of his own accords, killed Orochimaru and didn't have ill intention? Oh that's right. He betrayed his village._

_Sasuke scoffed which sounded like something between a grunt and a cough. _

_ "Tsunade san." He spoke up. He wouldn't let them talk about him like he didn't exist. "I believe Sakura doesn't need to baby-sit me."_

_ "You have no say in the matter, Uchiha." Tsunade scowled at the former missing-nin. A deep growl was held back by the hokage. He was really getting on her nerves. He just earlier said that he would have a say in the matter, and there she was telling him he didn't have the right. But, there was a reason she was Hokage. And that reason was not only because of her medic skills. _

_ "Hn." Was all he replied before he glared at Tsunader. He actually had the nerve to glare at the Hokage. _

_ Sakura laid her hands down on the table where her dent marks were. Her nails dug into the wood as her teeth clenched together. She sighed in defeat. "I…" her voice trailed off with her anger. "…accept." _

_ Sasuke turned to Sakura. _What did she say?

_ "I accept!" Sakura groaned and turned away from her master. "If I don't come to the hospital and take load off of you, don't call for me." She tipped her head so the side of her face was seen by Tsunade. "I'll be doing other work that _you _gave to me." She was referring to 'baby-sitting' the Uchiha. _

_ Tsunade gave a small, satisfied smirk, "Oh I'm sure I can manage." _

_ Emerald eyes glared at the Hokage before she marched out off the office. _

Sakura straightened herself. She stretched her punching arm out and turned to the two boys, "I'm sorry…I just…needed to punch something." Her eyes wavered away from the two and walked ahead of them.

Maybe baby-sitting Sasuke would be fun. If she took care of him, maybe he could return to his old self—and more. Did she have enough power to ease the Uchiha's suffering? Furthermore, would he let her in or push her away like before? Sasuke had changed from the old Sasuke, but the old Sasuke was still in there somewhere, right?

"So, Naruto, ramen?"

Naruto gave his signature grin before it faded as quick as it came. "Ah I'd love to…"

"But?" Sakura had arched her brow up in question.

"I—well—I need to do something."

"Or go to someone?" Sakura smirked at Naruto because she had guessed right. She could tell from the way he stiffened when she questioned him.

He gave a chuckle, scratching the back of his head in the process. "Ah…I'm seeing Hinata chan…" a small blush tinted his cheeks pink.

"Ha! I knew it! You don't have to hide it from me, you know!" A chuckle erupted from Sakura's mouth; her dainty hands rested on Naruto's shoulder.

"Yeah, Sakura chan, you're always there when I need you." His whiskers crumpled under the big grin on his face.

Sakura gave a nod before he bid goodbye and ran off. She shook her head at Naruto's simple-mindedness "That boy…"

Sasuke watched the whole scene with little interest. Emotionless orbs stared between the blond and the pinkette. His eyes narrowed when Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder and laughed. They were acting like he wasn't there. It even surprised him that Naruto had said his name as he bid goodbye. He was almost certain the blond had forgotten he was back.

He was back…why was he back? He honestly didn't know. He killed Orochimaru because he could learn nothing more from him. From there, he created a platoon to track Itachi down. But, after months of searching, they found nothing. Seeing as the platoon was not an effective tactic, he disbanded it much to the other member's disappointment. He was always the type of person to disregard the useless. If it wasn't worth anything, why keep it?

But what stunned him was why he came back to Konoha. He believed he had done it unconsciously. He didn't think it through properly; he just found himself in front of the Hokage and telling her that he was back, and that he deserved at least some sort of pardon for killing a wanted criminal.

And now that he had returned, what now? What was he going to do now? He had no traces to his brother. Then again, Konoha had always been good in gaining information, so maybe he could work something out. But, right now, he'd just passively follow anything interesting around and kill time.

Ironically, that interesting thing happened to be the girl with pink hair and green eyes and was named Sakura.

"Sasuke?"

His blank face turned to the owner of the voice. Sakura was looking at him with an innocent smile on her face; but he guessed she didn't trust him as much as her shishou did.

"Hn."

"We're heading back, alright?"

"Hn."

Sakura didn't bother to continue the conversation knowing that all she would get were grunts of different tones.

**XxxxxxX**

They were half way to Sakura apartment when she asked Sasuke if it was okay if they took a short side trip. He merely grunted. It wasn't like he could oppose her.

They made their way through the shops until Sakura found what she was looking for. A good distance away was the red bridge where she would stay to think. She walked over and leaned on the coral railings.

Sasuke watched her in silence, his charcoal eyes taking in everything about his former teammate. She was so different from the Sakura he knew before. Whereas the old Sakura was naïve and immature, this version was…not necessarily mature, but different. He couldn't quite explain it. She just seemed to have a different aura around her.

Her hair had stayed short, pity, because he slightly liked her long hair. But, why would his opinion matter? It was probably her way of acting strong. Acting…he had yet to know whether she was pretending or was really strong.

Her skin had gotten tanned, maybe from training in the sun, but they still held that softness and glow. It glowed even more when the moonlight and its reflections in the river's waves touched it. She was muscular, yet flexible; rigid, yet soft. Polar opposites seemingly impossible to merge, but here they were, fused inside one body.

Her body had developed. Through his disappearance from Konoha, he had seen numerous females (Though he never got closer than looking. He didn't have time to bother with useless things), and not even Karin, the annoying fan girl in his team, could compare to how Sakura was. Her chest was flat in her current outfit, which he guessed was because of her Kunoichi binds. She had a flat stomach, but he didn't know whether she had abs or not. He smirked to himself thinking how he would find out. Her legs had lengthened, for she was meant to be a long-legged girl. A petite body, but grown in all the right parts.

But among all the things that had changed in her, there were still some things that didn't. Like the fact that her smile was the same, the way she would place her hands behind her back and laugh, or her temper. But most of all, he noticed, her eyes. Her eyes were still a bright green, maybe even brighter.

She was happy even without him, maybe even happier.

Thinking about the cherry blossom was better off without him, for some reason, made his heart ache. For as long as he could remember, he had always watched over Sakura. But, he made sure that none of them were aware. He even denied himself the thought of somehow having a soft spot for her. Admitting it would have taken a hard toll on his pride.

Although, even now, after years of being away from her, he was still watching her—whether he liked it or not.

"Sasuke…"

His obsidian orbs turned to hers, "hn?"

"Sorry…" Her voice trailed off and so did her eyes. What was she apologizing for?

He kept quiet as a sign of pressing her to answer his silent question.

"I'm sorry I wasn't good enough to come with you before." A sad smile was spread on her face. The lights reflected by the water below danced inside her sea-green eyes. "If I was stronger, you could have stayed and you wouldn't have needed to go to Orochimaru…"

She turned to face him. Tears were welling up in her eyes, but he could tell that she was trying her best to stop them from falling. "But, now, Sasuke I'm stronger now! Even Naruto is! Naruto and I, we can help you."

Sasuke tensed on the inside, nevertheless, he didn't show it. What was she saying?

"We can help you, if you let us. Together, we can avenge your clan…" There was desperation in her voice. "We heard he was in the Akatsuki. And, the Anbu has been getting bits and pieces. Soon, we'll be able to track them down and eliminate them."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Konoha has been getting information about Akatsuki? It occurred to him that they had the same enemy.

Sakura pressed her lips together in an effort to stop the tears. Her knees were weakening and even she couldn't believe that she was practically begging Sasuke to accept their help.

Information on his brother, Naruto getting stronger, a different Sakura, Konoha was getting interesting. Indeed, he would stay for a little bit longer. He inwardly smirked and began moving towards Sakura.

She stiffened, her gaze following his movements. His hand reached out to her as his lips curled into a smirk. She clenched her eyes shut. What was he going to do? Then she felt his fingers brush her hair.

She opened her eyes and blinked, "Eh?"

Sasuke grunted through his smirk before pulling away. In his hand was a leaf that had fallen on her hair. He tossed it down into the river and turned to Sakura. "It's getting late."

Sakura gawked at the Uchiha. He had utterly broken the mood, but she was relieved. Honestly, she wasn't ready to hear his answer. Sasuke was prideful, it would be easy to deduce that he wouldn't accept their help.

She wiped her tears away and gave a sniffle.

"We should head back." Sasuke told her with an emotionless gaze. He was like that now. Unlike the Sasuke who would give playful smirks, or taunted Naruto, or blushed in embarrassment sometimes, this Sasuke was completely blank. He appeared to be like his old self, with all the smirks and insults he threw at Naruto and her, but Sakura could see how empty he was. His eyes gave away everything. His eyes used to be like a swirling oblivion, full of turmoil and never-ending chaos. Now, his eyes were just black pools of nothingness. Still oblivion, but it was still. And a still oblivion was scarier than a swirling one because the stillness held no clue to his emotions. Sakura, unlike before, couldn't guess his real feelings hidden in his locked up soul.

Sakura shooed away her thoughts and lighten the mood. Narrowing her eyes into a playful look, Sakura taunted the Uchiha, "Sasuke…are you scared? I knew you were strong enough to defeat Orochimaru, but thugs? Had Orochimaru grown that weak?"

Sasuke gave her a death glare in response. Sakura, being used to it from their childhood years, laughed it off and looped her arm with his. "Alright, alright, let's go."

**XxxxxxX**

For a moment, they shared each other's arms in silence. Sakura was clinging to him tightly. She was, in this way, mocking how Sasuke would get lost in Konoha. However, Sasuke wasn't paying attention to what the pinkette was doing. The only thing that was on his mind was that Sakura was close…too close…and he was getting feelings that he didn't want—or like.

"Sakura." He needed to stop this, and fast. She looked up at him, her emerald eyes staring up at him, and her pink lashes batting at him. Her lips pouted into a small 'o' and the way the neon lights hit it was enticing. Her lipgloss clearly brought out the fullness and wetness of her lips. For a moment, Sasuke stared at them. Before he ripped away from Sakura and turned away from her.

"Eh? Sasuke kun, are you okay?" He walked on ahead of her, and she trailed behind him. "I'm sorry if you're mad." Sasuke's eye twitched. Oh he was definitely mad. But, not in the way that he was angry, no it was the other mad. He was going crazy. And it was all the fault of this cherry blossom-haired medic nin.

"Hn."

Sakura gave a small pout before speeding up her walking pace until she was walking along side of him. "My apartment's just a little bit away."

**XxxxxxX**

**-Well, here's a short chapter. O-O I'm honestly not used to the fact that it is only 5000 words+. I got used to chapters 6000-8000 long. xD Well, this is a short chapter because…well…if I put everything in this chapter, there won't be enough for the other chapters. Teehee.**

**-How was it? :D Oh yes, Sasuke's here. xD Finally, the stage is set for a little romance between the two. xD Now, before you go saying WTH! I thought this was ItaSaku, I'd like to point out that the pairing in this story is SakuXIta,Sasu. So, there will be romance with the two sexy Uchiha men, kay? :D **

**-The title means: "Beginning's end" this is because we can finally move on to the proper story line. XD Yeah I'm half way done laying out the stage for the actual plot. Actually, this story is sort of the staging for the actual plot. :o You'll know what I mean when we get to the ending. .**

**-Madam Obscurum "Let go, just let go, 'cuz there's beauty in the breakdown." ("Let Go" by Frou Frou)**


	10. Chapter 8: Diary of an Avenger

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto :o**

**-Thanks for the reviews :D Thank you also for those who favorite and put my story and I on alert. Aw, my chapter-ly reviewers are decreasing Did I disappoint you guys?**

**-Sorry, it's another reflection chapter. xD**

**-The title is like so because it mostly focuses on sasuke and his thoughts. :3**

**-for those who asked, Yes she does remember them. :3 But, she can't really go find them because of her duties in Konoha. She 'moved on' from her nii sans, but she thinks of them a lot. O.O In Letter of an Angel (wellspring genesis) she kept comparing her nii sans to the people and situation, ne? :3 So that proves that she hasn't forgotten them. I actually miss them too (the akatsuki) xD**

**-And it's the Sasuke Arc :o Sasusaku lovers, this is for you. ItaSaku lovers, a little bit later teehee. AkaSaku lovers, a little bit later too :3 **

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 8**

**~Diary of an Avenger~**

Sasuke lay down on his navy blue bed. Sakura told him that as long as he stayed in her house, he could use the guest room. He was alone in the house because the medic nin had an emergency at the hospital. She left the house screaming different things like: Stay here and don't go out. If anyone comes in looking for me tell them where I am. Ow, I stubbed my toe. I warned shishou, but does she listen? NO….

Then in moments, she was out the door and running to the Konoha Palace. Sasuke smirked when he heard her muffled screams from outside the door. He spent the evening shrouded in silence and darkness. He took this time of tranquility for meditating, and when he had had enough of it, he went to his room to lie down.

From there on, different thoughts came into his mind. From his brother, to Orochimaru, to memories of the time he killed the snake sannin, to returning to Konoha, his friends and finally Sakura. Why his thoughts drifted from one memory to the other but lingered when it came to the cherry blossom was beyond him.

It had been a few days since he started living with the pinkette. He'd have to admit that at first, he was as unwilling to live with her as she was with him. But, eventually, they got used to each other. In fact, sometimes they rarely had anything to do with each other. Sasuke would spend his day training either in the training grounds or the waterfalls. Sakura would be working in the hospital with her never-ending shifts.

They only time they would see each other was early in the morning and late in the evening. The day cycled like that, and it continued to cycle like that even on that day when Sasuke decided to not train and just laze around the house. He thought it was a good way to restore his energy (He hadn't slept since he came to Konoha. He had to be on his guard because he _was_ a missing nin. He didn't trust anyone—not even his house sponsor. Fortunately, Sasuke thought he could put a little faith on the rose-locked girl), and get to know the house.

Sakura, from the time he had spent with her, had really changed. Later on he found out that she trained just as much as he did (of course, it didn't mean she was better than him). She had inhumane strength, and was rumored to be better than Tsunade herself in terms of battle abilities and medical abilities. Sasuke gave a grunt, a smirk plastered on his face. His cherry blossom was blooming perfectly. Yes, she was still blooming in his opinion.

Then something struck Sasuke.

Sasuke had just called Sakura _his _cherry blossom. He grunted at the thought and pushed it away. After all, Sakura, since the very beginning had been his, hadn't she? She had freely admitted that she liked him long before. She was his possession that was it. He marveled at the fact that he _owned_ a cherry blossom with deadly brute strength and the ability to heal his wounds. Yes, Sakura, especially now, was a precious possession. And he decided that she would be his and no one else's.

A long time ago, she was already his. At first, she was a nuisance. She held no importance to him or his goals, thus he ignored her. Of course he ignored her, she was useless and he wasn't the type who dealt with the useless. But, when he realized that she was a good source of information, he got interested and thought to allow her around him. But, because she was annoying, he still ignored her sometimes. But, no matter how much he allowed her around him, he still pushed her away. He never let anyone in. Because they wouldn't understand—no one would understand.

Slowly, his brain started digging up memories that he buried years ago.

"_Hn. You just wait, you bastard. I'm going to kill-" he sensed a presence behind him. His instincts kicked in as he threw a kunai just a little bit to the right of whatever was there. _

_He heard a squeal. Then, the figure, that had hidden itself in the bushes, came out. It was a girl. He hid a scoff and studied the girl. She was around his age, a little shorter than him. She was a peculiar girl. She had pink hair—of all the hair colors in the world, pink? She was brushing the hem of her skirt when she looked up at him. His dark eyes took in the color of hers. They were a deep bright green. _

_He stared at her for a while before he ripped his gaze from her. With a slight pink on his cheeks that he hid by turning away from her, he grunted. "Oh it's just a girl" he managed to say. The girl didn't say anything from the time she squealed and even when he was leaving. He headed home. He had gone beyond his normal training time with his normal training time being until mid afternoon. But ever since _that_ incident, he'd been training more and more even late into the night. _

_However, he didn't care. _

_He didn't care if he worked himself to the bone because he needed this. He needed to get stronger so he could kill _him._ He didn't care if he went home late everyday. He didn't care if he didn't come home at all. _

_That was because there was no one to care. There was no one to scold him and tell him that he should've gone home earlier. There was no one to ground him because he worked himself too hard. There was no one…not anymore. _

**XxxxxxX**

Sasuke gave a frustrated grunt. He didn't want to think of that incident: the massacre. It held too much pain for him, so he would always avoid thinking about him. His thoughts drifted to the young girl he had seen while doing kunai practice. For a while, he didn't see her. He was so caught up with his vengeance that he didn't have time to walk around the village asking if they knew a girl with pink hair and green eyes.

He always saved it for later because he knew he could've asked at least one or two people and he'd have the answer. She had pink hair and green eyes! It would be hard to believe that a hundred people had that color combination built in them. It would be especially hard to believe that there was more than one female in the village with pink hair and green eyes.

Eventually, he found out about her. How? She became his classmate in ninja academy. However, it greatly disappointed him to know that she was like those other girls. She was one of _them_—those annoying fan girls that stalked him wherever he went. If only he could, he would've killed them all with one blast of his fire jutsu. But, he settled for the glares and stares he gave them when they came a foot near him.

Oh the surprise he got when he realized that Sakura, the girl with pink hair and green eyes, was unaffected by his death glares and stares. Even when he found out that he was teamed up with the odd combination girl—because fate was weird like that—he used the same tactic of glaring at her. It was a pity because he thought she would be different from them, but he was wrong. His glares were enough to keep her away, but she was getting too annoying. He needed to do something more…_drastic._

That window of opportunity appeared when she bad-mouthed Naruto, the annoying failure that was in his team. Of course, she meant no harm in it, but what she said really ticked him off. She said Naruto had a personality like that because he had no parents. It drove him to the edge, and he found himself releasing some of his pent up anger towards her and the subject. In the end, he called her annoying. That shut her up because as he walked off, she didn't speak or try to chase after him.

He actually thought the girl wouldn't go near him anymore. Again, he was wrong. In fact, he found himself growing closer to her and the annoying blond. It probably happened somewhere in the bell test their teacher made him do. He remembered being 'compassionate' to the blond after it. Fortunately, that show of 'kindness' made them pass his bell test.

Then there was their mission in the land of waves. When Sakura was going to get hit, during the fight with Zabuza and that haku kid, he unconsciously popped in front of her. He found himself saving her then protecting her. It happened so fast that he didn't realize what he did until the enemy was down. He later assumed that he did that because old man Tazuna was their mission and he needed to complete it.

When he woke up after being unconscious for a while, she was the first thing he saw: She and her runny nose and gush of tears. His mind was still blurry and all he could manage telling the teary girl was "Sakura, you're heavy". He thought that she would pull away, but, much to his dismay, he got a big hug by the girl instead. He stilled thinking why this girl cared so much. It was unusual to think that someone still cared for him when those people who were supposed to care were long dead.

**XxxxxxX**

Sasuke slipped off the bed in one fluid movement. His eyes roamed the room before he stepped out of his room. The ex missing nin, for he wasn't missing anymore, walked down the halls of the apartment. Technically, it wasn't an apartment because it was huge. It looked more like a compound than an apartment. Paintings hung on the wall, nothing too expensive. They were just enough to catch your attention when you walked down the hall for the very first time.

He went past through several doors. He estimated that the house itself, excluding his and Sakura's room, could hold a dozen more people. But, Sasuke remembered having told by Sakura that she had an aunt living here as well. He never saw her, but Sakura explained that it was because she was out of the village. She would be coming home in a week, Sakura's aunt.

He retraced his earlier steps and walked down the wooden staircase, and down to the entrance of the house. The entrance was small, a typical Japanese receiving area. But, that was because the living room, dining room and kitchen were huge. Sakura's family _did_ own the entire apartment building. But, it wasn't a compound. Her family wasn't the kind of rich clan like he had. They were a typical civilian family with, probably, a good amount of money. Then Sasuke began wondering about her parents. He never heard anything about Sakura or their whereabouts. But, again, it didn't concern him, so he didn't bother to ask.

Sasuke sat on the dining table. He wasn't eating or planning to eat something. He just sat there because it had a good view of the entrance, and if anyone came or knocked, he could easily open the door—or kill the person outside. After sitting in silence waiting, his thoughts began popping out of their once closed cages.

Again, the kunoichi appeared in his thought bubble. To some point, it frustrated him, but he let it slip. He didn't have anything better to think about anyway.

Sakura, as he compared the before and now versions of the girl, is really different. In the chuunin exams, she was useless. She couldn't even take down anyone and relied on Naruto and him. However, no matter how useless she was, he found himself wanting—needing—to protect the girl. It felt like he was obligated to protect the girl no matter what. And, despite his mental refuses, his body would always react quickly and protect the girl.

After his battle with Orochimaru, a searing pain shot through his shoulder. And, it was ironic to think that it was Sakura who caught him and held him when he was screaming in pain.

His current thoughts counter acted against his previous. Was she really different? Even then, the weak Sakura had done everything in her power to be useful once in a while. It was weak Sakura who had perfect chakra control like she did now. It was the weak Sakura who defended them against the Sound ninja. The weak Sakura even cut her hair off, something she treasured, to save the two of them. Even as a weak girl, Sakura did that much.

And now that she was at a higher level, was stronger, how much more could she do? Sasuke realized that she didn't really change. From that annoying fan girl to this beautiful medic nin. Sakura had grown in skill, maturity and mentality, that was probably it. Sasuke, from all his thinking, decided that Sakura had changed in some ways and stayed the same in some ways. That she didn't _change, _she just grew up.

It was funny to think that he spent a long time thinking about the past Sakura and the present Sakura only to come up with that conclusion.

But, no matter how much she _changed, it _didn't matter. What mattered was the present Sakura and how she could aid him in his quest to avenge his clan. Because, no matter how much time had passed, he would always be an avenger. This was his path, and his path to stay on—no matter what.

**XxxxxxX**

It was late evening when Sakura returned. She was so tired that she was stumbling her way in. In one hand was her handbag and the other had an envelope that contained some of her patient's files.

Sasuke sat in the far corner of the dining table watching her stumble and fall everywhere. To some extent, it was amusing until she almost slipped on the stairs. She was practically fatigued. What had the Hokage asked her to do to make her reach that magnitude of exhaustion?

He, after giving a bored sigh, stood and caught her as she fell. She landed into his arms and both were amazed at how perfect she fit in them. "Ah, Sasuke…" she whispered, her eyes were starting to clench shut. "You over work yourself."

She gave a chuckle, "_I _over work myself?" she was obviously pointing out the fact that he used to train for weeks without sleeping. Actually, he didn't use to, he still did.

"Hn." He refused to argue with her. For the probable fact was that he _couldn't_ argue with her. What she was saying was true, after all.

He brought the girl who lay in his arms—whether she liked it or not—to her room and set her down on her pink bed. Her entire room was pink from the ceiling down to the floors they stood on.

Sasuke stared at her in silence, and she, for some unknown reason, did the same. For a while, their eyes were locked. Words were neither said nor thought, for both minds were completely blank. They didn't know what they were doing, or why they were doing it.

After a shared silence, Sakura broke away from the eye contact to mutter out a 'thank you' to which the emotionless Uchiha replied with a 'hn.' She sat there, not knowing what to do next. Her confusion was put at ease when Sasuke started for the door. Her eyes followed his back as it disappeared through the door and down the hall.

A small blush made its way to her earlier fatigue-paled cheeks. She flopped onto her bed with a sigh. She lay down on her belly her pillow pushing against her cheek. Her eyes shut then she muttered to herself, "No way…I can't like him anymore…I don't want to get hurt anymore…" she drifted into a deep dreamless sleep.

**XxxxxxX**

Sasuke was back in his room and back on his bed. It felt like de ja vu all over again because he was doing the same thing as he was doing earlier that day: lying on his back, staring at the white ceiling and drifting in and out of his thoughts.

He groaned before turning himself so his abs pressed against the bed, and his face covered by the navy pillow. His eyes flickered to a close, but he didn't go to sleep. He just kept thinking non-stop. And he wasn't just thinking of random things, he was thinking of the kunoichi who he placed on the bed.

It was true that when their eyes locked his mind was blank. But, it was also true that even if his mind was empty, his feelings weren't gone. As he stared into those green orbs, he felt something bubble inside of him. He recognized it as the same feeling as when Sakura had looped her arms around his on their way back.

He hated feelings. Detested them so much he wished he didn't have them because despite his outlook, his innards were still human.

He grunted at the whole situation. That familiar feeling began earlier when he entered her room. As she was nestled in his arms, fragile and cold, he suddenly got the urge to pull her against his chest and keep her warm. And when their eyes were locked, he felt himself wanting to caress her face. He brushed the memories away.

She was going to be a weapon, a tool to aid him in killing Itachi—that was all. He would have no emotional attachments to the Kunoichi because emotional bonds hindered a lot of things and cause unneeded things to happen.

Disgruntled with his overflowing stream of thought, he quickly shut off his mind and fell asleep. He didn't want to think anymore. He had spent the entire day thinking already.

**XxxxxxX**

The next day, Sasuke awoke from his slumber. Dawn had yet to come, and his body refused to let him sleep again. So, he decided to do his morning routines earlier than usual.

He stepped into the bathroom, stripped his garments off and entered the shower. He turned the knob with a squeak and felt the warm water splash against his hardened skin. His eyes were dull, as they always were, and his raven black hair flattened down on his head as the water wet it.

When he had finished with his shower, he grabbed the towel and dried his head before wrapping the towel on his waist. After placing a pair of pants, which Sakura _generously_ bought for him, he walked down the steps.

Mid-way the staircase, a fresh aroma entered his nostrils. It smelled like fish mingled with the scent of freshly squeezed oranges. Sakura was awake? He walked down the steps and smelled something that made his eyes widen.

Shirtless, he entered the kitchen to see Sakura pouring a glass of orange juice. She was wearing a pink apron over her usual kunoichi outfit, and her pink hair was tied into a bun. A single plate was on the table. But, that wasn't what caught his attention. Onigiris were laid out in the center of the table just waiting to be picked.

Sakura gave a small squeak as he noticed Sasuke had come in. "Ah Sa-Sasuke y-you're awake?" She mentally kicked herself for sounding like Hinata. Her green eyes looked him up and down then realized he was only wearing a pair of pants. A hint of pink painted across her face, Sakura ignored the fact that his abs were chisel-hard and took her apron off.

He glanced at her. "Hn." He walked to one side of the table and sat down.

Sakura placed her apron on one of the chairs and walked over to him. "So, um, this is...um…" Her blush grew a darker shade of pink when Sasuke turned to her. "…it's thanks for last night."

Sasuke hn'ed. His fingers stretched out to grab a couple of rice balls and place it on his plate.

Sakura's blush still there, her lips twitched into a smile. "Don't be shy, I made all of those for you."

His gaze fixated once again at the kunoichi, "hn."

Sakura's eye twitched at the fact that he didn't have anything better to say. Frustrated, she grabbed his plate. Sasuke gave a small growl when he saw his plate being taken away by the jade-eyed girl, "Wh-"

"No, not until you say 'thank you Sakura chan'." She smirked. This was cruel, she knew, but that was why she went through with it. One, she wanted to torture him; and two, she wanted to see how he would react.

Sasuke's eye involuntarily twitched, his mouth twisted into a scowl. He was staring at his onigiri before he stood up and headed towards the door. He wouldn't sacrifice his pride for a few balls of onigiri.

Sakura restrained herself from hitting the guy as he stood to leave without a word. But, she had something else up her sleeve, "You're leaving already, Sasuke kun?" She heard a grunt as she placed the plate of onigiri down. "Oh, well then, I'll have to give these freshly picked _tomatoes_ to Naruto then…"

Sasuke froze. He gave an indistinct growl before turning to Sakura. _Damn this girl_. He walked up to her, and for a second Sakura thought he was going to kill her. Instead, he stopped in front of her, his head hung low, hiding his eyes away from her. "I…"

Sakura had caught him, "Hm?"

"Thank…" He gritted his teeth, "…You…" His fists curled into tight fists. He couldn't believe he was going to let himself fall because of a basket of tomatoes and a plate of rice balls. He couldn't believe it, but there he was, pride hurting, because of those two _damned_ things. He cursed the day Sakura found out his favorite food were tomatoes and rice balls. "…Sakura…" He looked up at her to signal his finish.

"Tut, tut," Sakura wagged her finger at him, "It's supposed to be Sakura _chan_." She gave him a coy smile.

Sasuke couldn't control himself. He let his anger get the better of him as he pinned her up against the wall, his hands wound and pressed on her wrists. Sakura groaned while her feet tried to pry herself off of him. "I won't say it." Her frightened emerald eyes were met with crimson orbs. He was mad.

"Alright. Fine. You don't have to thank me for making you breakfast." When it came to physical strength, Sasuke was much stronger. However, it was a different story when she infused her chakra into her fists. She needed to apply chakra, but the situation didn't let her. She was so utterly _distracted_ by the shirtless Uchiha that she couldn't do anything. She pushed on him once more, but it only made him press her harder against the wall. "Sasuke…it hurts." She winced before Sasuke's eyes widened in realization.

He let her go and she fell onto the floor with a thud. He extended a hand to help her up, to which she hesitantly grabbed and pulled herself up. Sakura felt his eyes on her and looked up at him, "Yeah sorry, I couldn't help it. It's just…you…I felt like you didn't appreciate what I did…" she was rubbing her wrists, trying to make the blood circulate once again. Her green eyes were wavering around the room except towards him.

Sasuke gave a hn before he grumbled indecipherable words. Sakura, however, managed to read his lips—courtesy of Tsunade's teaching. She cracked a smile, and as he turned to leave she ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "You're welcome…" A satisfied smile was spread on her lips. She read his lips, and it read: 'No, I appreciate it. Sorry I hurt you. Thank you for the breakfast.'

Sasuke stilled when Sakura had hugged him from behind. It reminded him of the old Sakura and it made him smirk slightly. But, the way she hugged him like that, it gave him those unwanted feelings again. He gently pried her hands off of his waist and nodded to her before turning to sit on the chair he sat earlier on.

Sakura sat next to him and watched him eat the rice balls she had made. She smiled knowing that the Sasuke they once knew was still in there somewhere.

**XxxxxxX**

Sasuke sat in the garden biting on a tomato. Sakura, after he finished his onigiris, had left to work. His thoughts were messed up. At certain times, Sakura was mature and contained. And sometimes, like earlier, she was like her old childish self. He thought Sakura had grown, but he was wrong. A part of her old self was still there.

He realized, as he took another bite from the tomato, that he had been wrong about a lot of things. And that all those things he was wrong about, were all about Sakura.

Sasuke scoffed. Sakura was making him think, and it made him uneasy. His thoughts were supposed to be filled with thoughts of revenge, death, power, and killing that bastard he once called 'brother'. Instead, his head was filled with the cherry blossom.

He turned his head upwards at the sky. Sakura was confusing him. He needed to stop thinking of her, but he couldn't. She filled his thoughts constantly and he didn't know why. He thought it was some kind of genjutsu, but his eyes saw all and it was no genjutsu or ninjutsu.

In anger, he bit hard on the tomato. Droplets of its red juices dripped down to the ground. He needed to get out, but he wasn't allowed to. He needed approval from the Hokage to be allowed outside. It had only been a few days since he was put under watch and it would probably take longer until he was let go.

Right now, he would rather do anything than just sit around doing nothing. He would gladly stay in Konoha's prison or interrogation instead of in his navy blue room. He was going crazy, and he felt himself cringe at the thought.

He was Uchiha Sasuke. Things like those shouldn't have gotten to him, but the feelings he got, the thoughts, they drove him to the edge. Especially Sakura—god Sakura—it felt like she was there wherever he went. She was there when he woke up, and she was still there when he went to sleep. He was glad that he held no dreams because he wouldn't like it if the pink-haired girl was in there too.

But it wasn't Sakura's presence that was made him stir. It was the emotions that came out when she would come close. When he was Orochimaru, he felt nothing. He trained, so he could feel nothing. He worked, so he could be emotionless. And all those years were turned to nothing whenever he was around Sakura.

Why, just earlier he had dropped his pride to thank and apologize to her. He was a shinobi. He was going to kill his own brother. _He _was the man _she _stalked after. And now, he couldn't believe that he was succumbing to her.

And it especially didn't help when he heard Sakura's voice ring out from the front of the house.

Had he been sitting there that long? He glanced up and was shocked to see the sky was a golden orange. He had actually spent the entire day staring into space and eating his basket of tomatoes. He heard Sakura call out to him, and he groaned. He didn't want to see her, not when he was tempted to do things he didn't want to do when she was there. He turned a corner and there she was.

Sakura eyed him and waved to him. It was a friendly wave, just a mature 'hello'. So this was the new Sakura. Then he heard a voice ring out just behind her, "TEME!"

**XxxxxxX**

He couldn't believe that he was actually thankful that Naruto came. Any more moments alone with Sakura and he was going to explode. Then, he would never be released from probation, and he would never be able to get information on his brother.

Naruto had invited Sakura and Sasuke out to Ramen. He didn't like Ramen, but if it meant getting out of the house, then by all means. They sat on the stools of Ichiraku ramen. Sakura sat in the middle, Sasuke on her right and Naruto on her left.

"Ne, Sakura chan, did teme give you a hard time?"

Sakura chuckled, "No. He's been obedient." She glanced at the Uchiha who narrowed his eyes at 'obedient'.

"Ah that's good!" Naruto leaned back, his arms folded behind his head, and his sheepish grin tattooed on his face.

"Sakura san!" Three heads turned to the booming voice. A green flash entered the ramen stand. Naruto and Sakura gawked at what was now before them while stoic Sasuke gave him an emotionless stare.

Lee, clad in his green spandex, stood before them. He had his nice guy pose on which was directed at the only female customer: Sakura.

"Ah Lee san. What're you doing here?" Where Naruto had gotten over his crush on her, this one was rather…stubborn.

"I came to thank you for healing my arms!" He joyously declared. Sakura gave a nervous laugh before inclining her head away from him because he was leaning towards her.

"I'm just…doing my job, Lee san."

"Ah and what a wonderful job you've done! Let me thank you by taking you out on a date!"

Sakura paled at his proposition. Lee was nice, but sometimes…sometimes he was just too…er, eccentric? "Ah actually, the hokage assigned me to watch over Sasuke kun so…" her voice trailed off and let Lee fill it in.

Lee frowned for while before his eyes lightened up again, "Ah I see, you really are dedicated to your job." He flashed another nice guy pose before turning away, "That's one of the reasons why I like you so much, Sakura san."

"Ah bushy brows is so scary sometimes." Naruto had his eyes in slits as he watched Lee's figure shrink until he couldn't see it anymore. He turned to Sakura and Sasuke, "Right, Sasuke?...Sasuke?"

Sasuke was pre occupied. When Lee had told Sakura that her hardwork and dedication to her job were one of the reasons as to why he liked her, he had, on instincts, wrapped his arms protectively around Sakura's waist. Sakura was blushing a dark shade of red. "Oi Teme! What're you doing?"

Sasuke, realizing what he had done, ripped himself away and turned away from the two. "Sa-Sasuke…are you sure you're okay?"

He gave a growl before he stood. "I'm going for a walk."

"Wait, Sasuke! You're not allowed to be on your own!"

But Sasuke didn't listen. He walked out of the ramen stand and down the street.

**XxxxxxX**

He walked around for a while. He lifted his head to survey his surroundings. He was on the red bridge where team 7 used to meet.

He stood there staring at the reflections in the water. He shut his eyes and emptied his mind because it was filled with Sakura and incoming thoughts. Why was this happening? He came here for information, not her.

Because he would never…not her…never her…couldn't…wouldn't…her…

Since before, revenge was the only thing that filled his thoughts. Revenge was his source of survival. Revenge was his life. Revenge was him.

He was finally regaining his senses. He wouldn't let himself fall. He wouldn't let his head fill with unnecessary thoughts and questions. He wouldn't let her in—just as he did before.

Because she was his tool…

…and he was an avenger…

**XxxxxxX**

**-I personally liked the ending of this chapter. xD**

**-Damn you sasuke! D= I didn't like how I wrote him in this chapter. I did, however, like how he succumbed to tomatoes and onigiri D But, I just wanted to point out that Sasuke does have feelings for Sakura. He's in obvious denial. He's getting confused by them and he ponders about it until he finally comes to a resolution that those feelings are 'unnecessary' and that he is nothing more than an avenger and she is a tool that he will use to get his revenge, sad no?**

**-Yeah I miss the Akatsuki too. xD But they'll appear after just a few more chapters. xD It would mess up the plot of I placed them there now. xD I miss typing Hidan and Dei Dei chan. T.T But, to ease your minds, the akatsuki will not kidnap her. I think there're enough stories about them kidnapping Sakura, don't you think so? **

**-And about Past Sakura and Present Sakura. I wanted to point out that Sakura, though she has changed to be strong and kick ass, she still has that child-like innocence somewhere in her. And usually, it comes out when she's flustered. I'm still working out Sakura's personality here. XD So bear with me. xD**

**-Madam Obscurum, "Yes, you want her, look at her you know you do. It's possible she wants you too, there's one way to ask her. It don't take a word—not a single word, go on and kiss the girl." (Kiss the Girl in The Little Mermaid My favorite version is Colbie Caillat's version) (this is kind of a hint for a chapter title haha)**


	11. Chapter 9: Silent Promise

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-Yes, I understand I placed Itachi and Sakura as the characters here, but because they were the main characters. :o It does not necessarily mean it's the pairing. So am I saying that the pairing is SasuSaku? It doesn't necessarily mean that either :D Anyway, I'm just placing it here because you might start saying: "Where the heck is the Itasaku-ness?" or "why is it SasuSaku?" or even "Shouldn't she be in love with Itachi?" Another note, the Akatsuki won't be making their appearance yet. They will appear just not now. It would mess up the plot. xD But yes, they will appear. The delay of their appearance, **_**maybe**_** it's just a way of me making you wait more. xD **

**-Takakuma: What do you mean I should have dragged on his boredom more? Could you please elaborate? :D Yeah I always saw him as a moody guy. == Haha **

**-So without further ado: **

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 9**

**~Silent Promise~**

"Sasuke kun!" A frantic Sakura called as the said person walked out of the ramen stand.

"Teme!" Naruto followed suit, then seeing it also had no effect, turned to Sakura. She was biting her lip probably from the frustration.

"Naruto, I have to go" Sakura shot up from her seat. "I'm sorry, maybe next time, okay?"

Naruto didn't stop her. He knew that she had something she had to do. He whined, turning so he could slurp another batch of ramen. He glanced to his side and there they were, three bowls of untouched ramen—oh the bliss.

However, his happiness was short lived when he received the bill from old man Ichiraku. He had forgotten that he was going to split the bill with Sakura. But she wasn't there. So, Naruto had to pay for the entire three bowls of ramen and lost his allowance for the week.

Head hung low in defeat Naruto gave a sigh. "Teme owes me…"

**XxxxxxX**

Panting, Sakura stopped by the training grounds, but found no one. She had been running for over forty-five minutes and had yet to stop. By now, Sasuke could have been anywhere. She had passed by several shop, gone through leaf highway several times, even searched the forest of death in the possibility that he was brooding there.

Her frenzied search ended, however, when she spied the Uchiha standing on one of her favorite places in Konoha. He stood on the red bridge staring into the river below, thinking. Without a thought, she ran towards him, "Sasuke kun!"

Sasuke, earlier engrossed in his thoughts, turned to the figure that was running up to him.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry." As far as she knew, she didn't have anything to apologize for. She didn't do anything wrong, but the circumstances forced her to lower her pride. "I'm sorry if you got offended when I called you obedient."

A flicker of concern came and went inside those obsidian orbs of his. That wasn't why he was mad. And he wasn't even mad at her in the first place—well not directly. It occurred to him that maybe the kunoichi was trying to get on his good side.

And just as Sasuke guessed, he was right. Sakura's inner had appeared and was screaming in her head.

**"What the hell? Why am I apologizing?" Her inner threw fists into the air. "Shannaro! Damn this bastard!"**

Sakura's inner thoughts were starting to slip as anger seethed through her fists. The lack of response of the Uchiha was getting on her nerves. But, she kept her raging temper in check, thinking it was the best for now. She was sore from work, and didn't want to have to fight the Uchiha clan survivor.

After a long silence, he spoke, "Let's go home."

Then Sakura's long suppressed temper burst. Her fists tightened, her knuckles whitening from the harshness of the grip, and her teeth gritted with anger. She was about to scream 'damn you Sasuke' when a quick blur brushed her.

Her eyes, dilated from the shock, turned. Sasuke was beside her. In a split second, he had moved from one side of the bridge and all the way to the other. She now knew not to mess with him. It wasn't like she couldn't take him—she was fast herself—it was that she would have a long tiring fight. And she was already exhausted in her current state.

She felt him smirk. He leaned and whispered into her ear, "You are not yet forgiven." If it weren't for the fact that Sasuke was brushing against her arm and his breath was on her ear, she could've punched him. Instead, she blushed. Sakura's inner thrashed inside her blurred brain yelling indistinguishable words to Sakura.

Satisfied with her reaction, he walked on ahead. She had already agreed to help him, now he just needed for more information and he would have his older brother dead soon.

A frustrated Sakura trailed after Sasuke like a defeated dog. Her head was bent to hide the blush that remained on her face. Her fists loosely swayed back and forth in an attempt to relax them again.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura's lips were pursed together into a thin line. They had been walking at a slow pace. Neither of them knew why, but the silence was somehow soothing. She watched his back, the way it held still despite the swaying of his legs. His Uchiha symbol patterned high and proud on his shirt. The way she was watching his back, it reminded her of how she used to watch his back all the time.

When Naruto had returned, she relished the fact that Naruto no longer told her to stay back. Instead, he asked her to fight alongside of him instead of behind him. It made her proud knowing that she, alone, had achieved this much. But, it was different story for her other teammate. Sasuke had yet to ask her to fight alongside him. It could be excused, though, because there was no need to. However the way his back was, and the distance between them, it somehow made her agitated because it reminded her so much of her old self.

Something stirred in Sakura. Not a feeling, but a distant memory. A feeling of nostalgia hit her as she recalled the night Sasuke left.

"Sasuke kun…" She whispered loud enough for her to hear. There were no life forms in that specific street other than her, Sasuke, and a rat that just entered the alley.

Sasuke didn't reply. Instead, he stopped and turned to her—wordless, swift, and smooth.

"Um…I…" she stuttered, and she didn't like it that she did. Where had the medic nin, toughened by one of the sannin, gone? She sucked in air to compose herself.

Sakura glanced up to meet those orbs of his. They were, like earlier that morning, empty. "That night, when you left…" she couldn't believe herself.

She fidgeted in her place thinking and rethinking about what she was going to say. "Um…bench…"

Sasuke raised a questing brow at her.

Her lips parted for a moment, then, deciding to change what she was going to say, closed them again. "For…um…" She shut her eyes and just let the words spill regardless of how it would turn out in the end. "Thank you for placing me in the bench and not leaving me lying on the ground!"

She slowly revealed her green orbs. She was hesitant to open them, in case a certain Uchiha was giving her a scowl. She had a big surprise when she saw Sasuke smirking at her.

Sasuke's eyes widened at what she had said, and he was utterly surprised at how stupidly random it was. He would have believed Naruto if he said something as simple-minded as that, but from Sakura? It was hard to believe. While her eyes were shut, he let his eyes turn crimson to make sure it wasn't a henge. When he realized that it really was Sakura, he let them settle back to their dark gray color.

He smirked at her. Sakura was indeed an interesting kunoichi. A few minutes ago, she was about to hit him, the next she was blushing, then she's quiet, and now she's yelling things buried in the past long ago.

He watched her green orbs reveal themselves. He saw caution and reluctance. This only made his smirk grow wider. He let his smirk linger a little longer before turning around and heading back without saying a word to her.

Sakura gawked at him for the enth time that day. His silence was, in the least, vexing. Just on that day alone, she had apologized and thanked him twice of each. And each of his replies, except her first apology, was responded with a smug smirk.

That egotistical bastard didn't even bother to give her a 'you're welcome' or 'it's not your fault' or even a death glare! One death glare would be better than a 'hn' or a smirk. Why? Because at least a death glare held an emotion. His smirks and grunts held no emotion, and she found it unsettling.

Her fingers twisted into a smirk, and her lips contorted to a scowl. The medic nin had succumbed to her anger. She charged at the Uchiha with a chakra infused fist.

Everything happened so fast that Sakura noticed her predicament only when she couldn't move. Sasuke, sensing the foreboding amount of exposed chakra, grabbed her wrist in time to pull it and lock it behind her back. His other hand had unsheathed his Katana and held it to her neck. They stood there, Sakura's back pressed against his front, arm twisted in an unmoving but painless grip, her other arm trapped between Sasuke's arm that held the Katana.

She let out a gasp when she saw the katana's gleam beneath her neck. "Sakura…" His tone was foreboding. She struggled in his grasp before he let her go. When she looked up at him, he held no smirk. He didn't even grunt. He just stared at her with that detached look of his.

Sakura gritted her teeth before she lowered her head and sighed in defeat. Her eyes snapped up when she felt Sasuke turn, without a word, and continue walking. She trailed after him, gripping her head as they walked back to her 'apartment'.

She had let her anger get the better of her. What had come over her? She just attacked Sasuke. More or less, he would was probably angry with her as well because the way he looked at her scared her. The way those unmoving oblivion orbs seemed to suck her in. She shivered at the thought and silently walked back.

**XxxxxxX**

When they got back home, Sakura, out of exhaustion, said that she wasn't hungry. Sasuke ignored her and walked up the stairs without giving a grunt or even turning to her. It was unnerving for her, the cold treatment he was giving. How did it come to this? She was just trying to lighten the Uchiha up, and it backfired at her. Well, it was her fault that she pissed him off with her antics, but still! She just wanted him to cheer up. When she entered that office and saw the blank expression on Sasuke's face, a strong feeling of determination entered her.

She didn't like the stony mien he held albeit the seemingly enthusiastic smirks he gave Naruto. She knew Sasuke far more than Naruto and could tell that he was faking it. Even as children Sasuke was sometimes faking his eagerness for anything. However, despite his faking, there were moments where she would see true happiness in his eyes. Now, he was just a façade of that Sasuke. Now, he was nothing but a shell of that memory.

Sakura gave a small, dejected smile. At least, in spite of him being a shell, the old Sasuke they knew was still lingering somewhere inside. She still had a chance to bring out the old Sasuke, and maybe, make him happy.

Because even if they both had lost their parents, Sakura was found by Itachi nii san and was saved the pain of living a life of loneliness. She had lived in happiness with her nii sans, and even when she lost them, she had her aunt. Sasuke…he had no one. And, Sakura pitied him a little. She, understanding the loneliness, wanted to make Sasuke feel like he wasn't alone in the world. To think, she could have ended up like Sasuke if she hadn't met Itachi nii san on that day.

She sighed thinking about her nii sans. Once again, she found herself wondering where they were and what they were doing.

"Well," she stood from the couch after a long time ruminating, and walked up the stairs. "Time to lower my pride…again." Soon, Sakura deduced, that she wouldn't have any pride left if this kept on.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura treaded up the steps and down the hall towards the guest room. With a trembling, hesitant hand, she knocked on Sasuke's door.

Nothing answered her. But, she could sense his presence from across the door. He was probably on his bed or sitting on a chair.

She sighed, what was with this guy? Oh right, a LOT of things. "Sasuke…I know you're there."

Silence.

"Fine, I'm talking whether you like it or not."

On the other side of the door, Sasuke gave a sarcastic grunt. It wasn't like she _wouldn't _talk if he said no.

"Sasuke…" She inhaled a good amount of air then exhaled, "I'm sorry."

Sasuke snorted. She was apologizing a lot recently.

The pink haired girl rolled her eyes when he didn't reply. What did she expect? She ignored his lack of a response and kept talking, "You know Sasuke, Naruto and I are still willing to help…if you let us." She repeated her offer when he first returned. "But, because I know you, you probably will accept our offer, not as teammates or friends, but as tools for your revenge,"

Sasuke's eyes lit up, widening at the door. She had hit a bull's eye. He _did_ think of them as mere tools.

"And if I know you, once you're done with us you'll toss us away. But you know," her hand slid over the wood of the door, "I understand your hatred. I know how it feels like to hate someone so badly…" her nails silently raked down the door, "But you have to learn how to forgive…"

Her words hitched at him like a hook yanking at his shirt, and this was pissing him off. The way she spoke with such certainty. The way she said: 'if I know you' and 'I understand'. The way she was _so_ right about everything. It was driving him over the edge.

"Learn to let go…"

That was it. Something inside him snapped and he found his way yanking the door open so hard that it slammed against the wall. He rose to his full height so he towered over her.

Sakura gasped when her emerald green eyes locked with his charcoal gray eyes. She was half relieved, because she saw they were swirling with an emotion—a sign of emotion at last—and half terrified, because that certain emotion was anger. In a fraction of a second, she found herself pinned up against the wall opposite to the door.

Sasuke held her at her mercy. His large hands gripped pressing tightly on her wrist, his knees placed on either side of her legs, and his body an inch away from hers. Sakura would have blushed at their awkward position if it weren't for the way his eyes had turned from obsidian to ruby.

"Sa-"

"What do you know me?" He barked at her. She winced under his yell. "How can you say you understand me?" All that pent up anger was coming out in the form of thoughtless words. He pulled on her wrists then slammed her up against the wall. She gave a yelped and whimpered beneath him. She had every capability to gather chakra in her fist and punch him away, but the way he was looking at her froze her in place. It pushed all her thoughts away, and left her shivering underneath him.

"You're telling me to let go?" He sneered at her, "Let _go?_ Like nothing happened and move on? What am I going to do, _pretend_ my entire family wasn't betrayed and killed?" He said those words through gritted teeth.

Sakura's eyes were dilated in fear. Her heart was ramming so hard against her chest, and her breathing was heavy. The need to escape occurred to her mind. She struggled beneath him, wriggling in attempt to slip away, but Sasuke's physical strength exceeded hers.

"Tell me Sakura, do you know what it's like to live in solitude?" He lowered his head, hiding his crimson fury from her, "You…don't know anything…" He said in a bare raspy whisper. "People like you, with happy lives, they pity me. They tell me it's all right, but it's not! Because they can't understand my pain…no one understands my pain!" His eyes shot up to expect them to meet with her terrified emeralds, but instead, he met softened, watery jade.

He was taken aback. She was crying, at least was about to, because she was suppressing her tears. She was biting her lip in an attempt to stop them. She cringed beneath him in the effort to hide her teary eyes. And just as her tears welled up in her eyes, his anger faded. Then, as if he wasn't surprised enough, she gave a small, but sad smile. Though, it ended up as a crooked trembling twist of her lip because of her resistance against her tears.

Sakura was smiling because she was reassured—because he had spilled a little of his true thoughts to her. Her wrists made their way to his face. She was able to pull them away because Sasuke's shock had softened his hold on her wrists.

Sasuke stiffened when he felt her warm hands cup his cheek. What was she doing? Her feet touched the floor with a soft thud, but her face never turned—she kept her eyes on him. Her lips parted so she could speak, "I…understand."

There it was again. She was acting like she understood him again. "No! You—" She pressed a finger on his lips to shush him. "Oh but I do…" That sad smile was still spread on her lips, "Don't ask me how…I just do…" she shut her eyes and leaned in and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her hands, once cupping his face, made their way behind him and wound themselves around his neck.

Sasuke stilled. He had the urge to push her away, but he ended up just not moving. He felt her warmth radiate into him. His nose was inches from her hair, and he could smell the sweet fragrance of her shampoo. Unknowing what to do, he just watched her tremble.

"Sasuke…I'm glad," More surprises from the cherry blossom.

"Hn?" He was curious because he had screamed at her, and she was here telling him she was glad. For what? For screaming in her ear?

"I'm glad that…you didn't push me away…" her hands gripped the back of his shirt, scrunching it. She was still suppressing her tears, and Sasuke wondered why she was trying to hard to.

"I'm glad…that you let me in…" Was she talking about what he had said? "And I'm glad, that the Sasuke we knew is still in there…" Her voice trailed off as she buried her face deeper into the crook of his neck.

She was glad that the old Sasuke was still there? This girl…she was really something.

"It's okay, you know, Sasuke…it's okay…I'm here…" She stroked the back of his hair like a child. "I know it's hurting on the inside…But I'm here…you can tell me anything and everything…" she gave a muffled chuckle, "Hell, you can scream at me and I wouldn't care…I'm used to it…" She pressed against him, her tears clogging up, "And…I won't tell anyone. I know you don't like your weaknesses being exposed…I know you don't like pity…so I'll keep it this a secret…"

She pulled away and looked into his now charcoal eyes. Her eyes pleaded to let her in. They begged him, with all that pure greenness, to trust her. Sasuke stared into those intoxicating orbs. Would Sasuke let her in? Would Sasuke drop his guard for her? What if it was a trick? After all, she was the hokage's apprentice. But, this was Sakura, wasn't it? This was the only girl who worried for him. This was the girl who cared so much about him it annoyed him. This was the girl who cut her hair off to protect him. This was the girl…the _only_ girl who truly, and wholeheartedly, cared for him.

And then he broke. He grabbed Sakura and pulled her into a tight embrace. His eyes, once emotionless, were brimming with mixed emotions: anger, sadness…happiness? His hold tightened when Sakura stroked the back of his spiked hair like a mother. She smiled, for she had finally broken his wall. She, the once weak link of team Kakashi, had finally let herself into the Uchiha's heart.

"It's okay Sasuke…you can cry…" She whispered into his ear. Then in a few seconds, his grip tightened and she felt droplets of tears cascade down her neck. She soothed him by rubbing his nape in attempt to calm him. "It's okay…Sasuke kun…" Then he wailed. It felt like something inside of him had broken, and he deduced that it was the wall he had built to keep his pain in—and others out. It was hard to believe that _the_ Uchiha Sasuke was crying—in Haruno Sakura's arms for that matter.

When he had released his anger and sadness, his arms slumped at his sides. He breathed slowly, inhaling then exhaling in soft breaths. His tears had stopped, and Sakura had yet to stop her smoothing of his hair. But, even if he had settled, Sakura was still trembling. She was still holding back her own tears. Now that wasn't fair.

He leaned to whisper into her ear, "this isn't a fair trade Sakura…" She pulled away to look at him. His dark eyes stared into her questioning sea green eyes, "Eh?"

His hand did what she had done: it cupped her cheek. She held back a blush when he leaned into her and spoke with the same tone she had used, "It's okay Sakura…you can cry…"

Sakura's eyes dilated. For a while, her face held the emotion of shock. Then, it turned into one of disbelief, hesitation, anger and then finally sadness. Her face erupted with tears. She dropped her face into her palms and sobbed. It was Sasuke's turn. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into an embrace. His free hand smoothed her silky pink hair.

"Sakura…" he whispered, "you won't tell anyone about this." His voice was gentle, yet demanding. It was as if she would break if he had been sterner, or she would turn to mush if he were too gentle.

She nodded to him before she cracked a smile. Her tears were still flowing, but she had enough sense to listen and smile at him. Really, this girl was extraordinary. "Of course, if you won't tell anyone that I cried." She stifled a laugh.

Sasuke, not the type of person to laugh, smirked. He couldn't believe what had happened. He had let Sakura in—no, she broke down his wall. Perhaps, this was for the better. When he grabbed her into an embrace then cried into her shoulder, he felt the burden on his shoulders lift.

He felt so free—so light. Now that he had let the anger go, everything just felt so…bright. It felt like he had woken up from an endless nightmare. He felt…happy.

For a while, Sakura and Sasuke held each other in comfort. They cradled each other, easing one another.

**XxxxxxX**

"Sakura…" He called her softly. In response to her name, she looked at him, "Hm?"

"I can't…forgive him."

She gave a small smile, "Your brother?"

"Hn." His way of saying: 'un'.

"Well, I can understand. He killed your family…" Her eyes trailed to the window. It was raining. After the emotional downpour, they came into Sasuke's room to find out that even nature was having its own downpour.

"…But, he's still your brother. And whether you like it or not, he's the only family you have left."

"Well that isn't my damn fault." His anger was beginning to show again. Sakura sighed at his frustration and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You can't forgive him, understandable, but…you can't hate him forever." Once again, she flashed him a sad smile before walking off to lean on the window. She pressed her forehead against the glass, feeling the water's splatter vibrating on the other side.

"Because…they're family…"

"I'm still going to kill him." Her head turned to Sasuke. What could she expect? Even if he wouldn't hate his brother, he was still angry. He had lived his whole life with one purpose, and that was to kill his brother. It would be hard, after years of effort, to just throw it all away. But still, it didn't feel right.

"Sasuke kun…" Her jade eyes watched his head turn to her. "...Killing him won't bring your family back."

"But-"

"They're dead. The only thing you can do is move on."

Sasuke stared at Sakura. Their previous conversation was starting all over again. "Sakura I can't."

She walked towards him and gave him a tight squeeze. "Sasuke, your brother is the only one left in your family. If you kill him, then your family will really be dead. Think about it, Sasuke kun."

She sat next to him and watched him brood over her words. At least he was listening to her now. It had been a miracle when Sasuke pulled her towards him. Even then, she was still pondering on whether everything had been a dream. But, as she pinched herself and winced at the sting, she realized she was awake.

After a long period of brooding, which seemed like hours to Sakura, Sasuke spoke, "Sakura…"

"Yes?"

"I'm still going to look for him."

"Sas-" He silenced her with the look in his eyes and smirk that emerged on his face.

"But I won't kill him."

Sakura, surprised, gapped at his response, "Eh?"

"I'll just beat him up." His gaze wavered. He refused to make eye contact with her because he was embarrassed. But, Sakura saw the tinge of pink on his cheeks. Then Sakura soon found herself roaring with laughter.

Sasuke glared at her. She wiped the tear of joy from her eye and waved her hand in the air as if dismissing her laughter, "Sorry, sorry it was just…unexpected. You…sounded like Naruto..."

"Hn."

She settled down, her laughter finally dead, and continued their conversation, "And after you beat him up?"

"Bring him back to Konoha."

Instead of laughing like she was urging to, she gave him a smile. "I'm happy that you've rethought things."

"I still can't forgive him, and hate him with every fiber of my being." As if Sakura hadn't had heard that enough from him.

"Don't worry, when we see him, we'll beat him up with you." He glanced at her, "I'm joking, of course we'll let you do everything. But, you'll still need us because the Akatsuki is a big group of strong shinobi."

"hn." And he was back with his lack of responses and usage of one-word—if 'hn was a word—sentences.

"But, we're not tools."

"Hn."

She twitched, "You know, I liked it better when you were screaming full sentences at me."

"Hn."

She gritted her teeth. She was angry, but she resisted the urge to hit him.

**XxxxxxX**

That night, Sakura spent the night in Sasuke's room. She lay on one side of the bed and he on the other. They just lay there side by side because their presence was enough. As long as they felt one another in the room, they felt at ease.

They were both staring into the white ceiling. Silence shrouded them, but it was short-lived when Sasuke called Sakura. She turned her head in response to her name.

"You…You won't betray me…?" It was half way a question, and half way a demand.

Sakura smiled and felt his hands entwine in hers. "I won't."

A short pause before it was Sakura's turn. She called Sasuke's name. He grunted in response. "You won't betray me?" hers was a direct question. She could never demand from Sasuke because he wasn't the type to be demanded from. Moreover, Sasuke was unstable. How would she know if he would keep his promise? Then again, that night he had changed. That night, he had opened up. He was even more different from the Sasuke before.

Sasuke's gaze fixated on her. He lay there—a little unsure with what he was about to say. Then, his expression changed. A hint of determination gleamed in his abyss-like orbs. "I won't." His words comforted Sakura.

"Sasuke…?"

"Hn?"

"I'm scared…" Her fingers tightened around his, "I'm scared that when I wake up…you'll be gone…"

Sasuke's free hand brushed the bangs on her face. His fingers caressed her cheek to soothe her. Sakura felt Sasuke move then she felt his breath tickle her ear "I'll be here…I'll stay…" He left the words 'I promise' hanging in the air, but to Sakura, that was enough.

She was put at ease, and feeling her fatigue, she fell asleep. Soon, Sasuke too followed after her and fell into sleep.

**XxxxxxX**

They lay in that room, fingers entwined with one another, asleep. Their slumber was dreamless. Their breathing mingled with one another. Inhaling and exhaling, they were both in perfect synchronization.

In some ways, the silence was unnerving. It loomed over them ominously, and created a dark atmosphere. The atmosphere felt like this unseen chain that shackled them. Because, in all its entirety, the event had had taken place earlier that night was like a dream. And they were afraid, that when they woke up, the chains would shatter and they would be tossed back into the nightmare they called reality.

But, in some ways, the silence was reassuring. The ominous silence created an atmosphere that seemed like chains. These chains, when they woke up, would hopefully stay shackled because these chains of silence served as a deep bond between the two. These chains held them together and with them, a promise. A promise to stay together, a promise to stay true to one another, it was a promise to be each other's haven.

It was ironic, really, how such a promise was based on unseen chains that may or may not 'break' when they opened their eyes. But, it was the best bet they had. And, it did them a good deal because Uchiha Sasuke, the only survivor—besides the person who murdered the clan—of the Uchiha clan, cold, stoic, emotionless, now had a ghost of a smile on his lips. Haruno Sakura, once crybaby and once the weakest link on team Kakashi, had a short temper, warm, a worry-wart, now sleeping peacefully without a worry.

But such irony was expected from life. If they hadn't known better, life was full of it. This ironic promise made in the midst of instability because silence was easily shattered with the simplest of sounds.

But, more than anyone, they understood the fragility of this promise. More than anyone, they understood the nature of the promise. Because it was they who made the promise, it was they who acknowledged it as a promise, it was they who allowed the silence to become the foundation of the creation of this 'promise', and it was they who used the silence that came between them after their words as a seal.

It was they who made the Silent Promise.

**XxxxxxX**

**-A short emotional chapter. xD I honestly got teary eyed imagining the scene. But, you see, I have this problem of lacking the ability to type what I imagine. xD So, if it's unclear or you can't picture it, I'm sorry. . This is my first time, so I'm having some difficulties. I'm kind of envious of those other first-time writers though. I've read a fanfic of another author, it was her first time too, but the way she wrote was amazing! I felt so much emotion from it. I could feel her words coming alive. When I read mine, I don't really get any impact. But, that's me. The fanfic is titled: Tangible.**

**-Well, review please :D **

**-This and the next chapter are probably my favorite chapters so far. xD **


	12. ExChapter: The Cockroach

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto 3**

**-Yup, another extra chapter and crack chapter. . Someone should've guessed that there would be more bonus chapters. xD And because you and I both miss the Akatsuki here's a non-related-to-story-line chapter :3**

**-Actually, the basis of the crackness of this story was from a comic I read in deviantart. Whereas this had a cockroach, in the comic it was a spider. It's totally hilarious. xD I forgot the username of the creator of the comic. I just typed there 'Akatsuki funny comics'**

**XxxxxxX**

**Extra Chapter 2**

**~The Cockroach~**

It was a perfectly normal day. The sky was a light blue, and the sun was shining brightly. Ah, it was absolutely peaceful. White clouds drifted over that big blue sky and passed the Akatsuki household without a hitch. And they knew, everyone knew, that there was _nothing_ that could disturb the peace.

"AHHHHHH!" …Or so they thought.

"What the hell are you fucking screaming about you bitch!" Hidan came running, scythe in hand, to the source of the scream.

Sakura sat on the wooden panels trembling. "Oi, what the fucking hell are you yelling on about?" An obviously pissed Hidan towered over the girl.

Sakura, shaking, looked up at her nii san. "Ah nii san!" She pointed to the far corner of the hall that had…nothing. Hidan twitched because there was absolutely nothing that he could see. "There's nothing there!"

Her emerald eyes were wet with tears. She gripped the edge of his black cloak and shook her head, "No, no! Look closer!"

Hidan did as she said and peered into the hall. Soon enough, he found the source of her fright. It was…a cockroach. Oh yes, a measly little cockroach that was perched on the door.

"What the fucking—that's it? You're scared of a cockroach?" His eyes bulged in his fury. He was disturbed from his afternoon nap because of a cockroach—oh indeed he was mad. "Gah! I'll kill that little mother fucking bug!"

Hidan, in all his anger, threw his scythe. It smashed through the door and in towards the room.

"AH WHAT THE HECK, YEAH!" Unfortunately, his scythe had just smashed through Deidara's newly molded sculpture. A furious blond stepped out and pointed an accusing finger at Hidan, "YOU! What the heck are you trying to do, yeah? Kill someone, un?"

Hidan sneered, "Hell yeah I'm trying to kill something!" He marched towards the door, but was stopped when Deidara shoved Hidan.

"And what're you planning to do with my now broken masterpiece, yeah?" Fury danced in his blue orbs.

Hidan, still pissed, yelled at the blonde, "Well that isn't my fucking problem, blondie!"

Deidara turned red with anger and shoved his hand into his pouch. He released several explosive birds at Hidan who was weaponless at the moment. He escaped into the lawn in an attempt to avoid the attack. "GET BACK HERE, YEAH!"

Sakura winced and covered her ears with her palms when the explosion rang out through the house. "WHAT THE FUCKING HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?" Hidan lunged at the blonde whose hand was still molding chakra into his explosives.

"What's happening?" Sasori walked out. He wasn't inside his puppet, for he was 'off-duty'. He stood next to Sakura, his red hair glorified and his eyes half lidded, watching the scene with little interest.

Sakura, finally able to move, turned to Sasori, "Ah! Sasori nii sama! Could you—" And as if reading Sakura's mind, the cockroach flew past the two. Sakura gave a scream and hid behind the puppet master. He glanced at Sakura before shifting his gaze at the cockroach. "Do you want me to kill it?" She nodded several times in response.

Opening his Akatsuki cloak a little, he released several hands from his body and slammed it at the wall where the cockroach had landed. The wall was smashed into pieces, but the cockroach was able to fly away in time. Sasori would've twitched in annoyance if it weren't for the fact that he was made of wood.

"Sasori nii sama look out!" A wandering piece of bark slammed through sliding door inches from Sasori. For once he was glad that the cherry blossom was noisy. "Ah Sakura are you all right?" He heard a faint 'un' amongst the explosives. Little Sakura appeared through the rubble and past beneath the tree trunk that was sticking out.

"YOU FUCKING BLOND!" "WHAT THE HELL, YEAH?" Were what came after Sasori and Sakura regrouped.

Sakura, from the corner of her eye, saw the cockroach enter the house. She chased after it, Sasori behind her. Sasori launched several knives into the Akatsuki living room, but the cockroach skillfully dodged it.

"What's going on?" Konan's soft voice called from the top of the stairs. "Konan okaa san!" Sakura cheered and ran towards her. Konan okaa san was strong and had good aim. She could kill the cockroach! "Konan okaa san! There's a cockroach!" Konan glanced at Sasori with an arched eyebrow. Sasori was unable to kill it? She had to give it credit, for it was quite formidable.

Sakura screeched and pointed to her left, towards the kitchen. "There!" Konan threw several paper shurikens at the cockroach, but it escaped. She turned to Sasori, "Saso-"

"On it." Sasori raced into the kitchen and launched several more knives, but the cockroach dodged them yet again.

"Oi what's happening?" A drunken kisame came in through the door. Konan glanced at him slightly relieved. She didn't want to admit it, the cockroach slightly crept her out. After all, Konan, despite being a fearless kunoichi, still had her weaknesses. "Kisame, get that cockroach."

Sakura glanced up at Konan okaa san. She saw a worry in her stoic eyes and understood that she, like herself, was frightened by the cockroach.

Kisame hiccupped and stumbled his way into the dining room after a 'yes maam'. He did some hand seals, much to Konan's regret, and released a water jutsu. The water roared like a Tsunami and slammed against the tables and chairs flooding the dining room and kitchen.

The cockroach was nowhere to be found. Kisame stumbled out of the room and into the living room where Konan and Sakura were. Sasori soon followed and stood next to the three.

Konan was inwardly twitching because the sight before her was dreadful. The dining room and kitchen were flooding with water and had dents on the walls. The living room was in no better condition, as there were paper shuriken and knives all over the room.

Boom!

Konan rushed outside and was at first hesitant to slide the door. But, she needed to do this. She slid the door open and her grayish blue eyes widened with the scene before her.

Numerous craters were formed in their once beautiful garden. The grass was totally burnt, and the trees had fallen with the impact of Deidara's explosions. Hidan, who somehow retrieved his scythe, had hacked through several of the blond's explosives and ended up spraying shrapnel all over the ground.

Sakura appeared next to the infuriated Konan and tugged at her sleeve. "Konan okaa san…" Oh Konan was inwardly panicking because if a certain someone went home and found this…they'd be in big trouble.

"Konan."

The blue haired akatsuki member froze, her face still ever so stoic. Her fears had been realized because, like how damn irony worked alongside fate, Pain had come home when she rushed to slide the door.

She turned, with hesitation, and saw Pain standing behind her, his rinnegan swirling. At either side were Itachi and Kakuzu. Unfortunately, that certain _someone_ was not Pain—no—it was Kakuzu that she was afraid would come home.

"Ah, Pain…" Her gaze wavered between the two behind him. Itachi was uncaring, but Kakuzu was a different story. His venom coated green eyes held endless fury.

"I do believe we need an explanation, Konan…?"

"Ah well…that is…" Her stoic grayish blue with amber highlights eyes roamed the room for a way to explain the situation.

"Take that you fucking bastard!" A blood lusting Hidan yelled from outside. Kakuzu marched outside and a few seconds they heard some more cursing, and Kakuzu cursing as well. Soon, Deidara and Hidan were yanked into the room through the money-lover's tendrils.

It was the angry Kakuzu that continued leader sama's interrogation, "Explain yourselves!" He was obviously resisting his need to hit the two senseless.

"We were trying to kill the cockroach!" Interjected Sakura.

Ah, innocent Sakura, one could always count on her to pull them out of trouble.

Everyone turned to her. Pain raised a brow at the pinkette. "A…cockroach?"

Kakuzu was steaming. An entire household that would take weeks and lots of money to repair was destroyed because of a _cockroach?_

Sakura nodded. Then, as if on cue, the cockroach flew out of the kitchen. Sakura yelped and hid behind Itachi.

And ever so quickly, Kakuzu launched a fist at the cockroach and squashed it with his bare hands. His hands, trembling with anger, hit the squished insect several more times before giving a loud groan. "This…is all going to come out of your pay checks! I refuse to pay for the damages!"

And just like that, Kakuzu marched to his room and everyone heard a bang upstairs. Pain turned to his fellow Akatsuki and sighed, "I am disappointed. Alright, everyone start cleaning."

"What, yeah?" Pain glared at the blond because he obviously was the main reason of why there were craters on the ground outside.

The blonde settled down and folded his arms across his chest with a huff.

"Sakura," Itachi had been silent throughout the whole thing and spoke for the first time to beckon the pinkette, "Come,"

Sakura obeyed and trailed after Itachi.

"How come the little bitch doesn't need to clean up?" Pain glanced at the Jashin believer, "Because she didn't leave dents OR craters in the lawn outside."

Hidan suppressed the string of his curses that were building up in this throat.

And so, the Akatsuki household was once again returned to its peaceful state…or was it?

**XxxxxxX**

It took months for the Akatsuki household to be fixed. When it had been fixed, Kakuzu ordered pest control to get rid of all pests. Pain, being god-like, announced that cockroaches were not allowed in the household and anyone found harboring a cockroach—known or unknown to them—would be punished.

**XxxxxxX**

**-So how was it? Konan seems a bit OOC, but again I understood her to have a stoic, but kind, feminine, caring personality. xD So shoot me if you disagree lol**

**-Madam Obscurum, "The word of the day is "legs." Let's go back to my place and spread the word." (Gotten from the internet. Oh shoot me xD)**


	13. Chapter 10: Kiss the Girl

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, this is fan fiction =_= I also do not own the song, and its lyrics**

**-Oh my goodness, Naruto is such an awesome hero. xD He can stop villains with his words D Have you guys read the latest Naruto manga? Hah finally Kishimoto makes something in his plot twists that I actually like. Can you guess what it is? It's that Nagato can get out of the wire things on his back LOL. But it helps a lot for this story =D. Ha Nagato, so your sweet side is still in there? Haha now I must see more of Madara D **

**-Oh so Sasuke arc is finished sort of :D xD I don't know if you guys will be relieved or annoyed. . Personally, I'm an Uchiha fan (no pun intended) I like both guys. I'm just really annoyed with Sasuke because he sided with the bad guys (well it inspires new plots but still) and wants to destroy Konoha. Doesn't he get that Itachi did it to defend Konoha? He should kill the council and Danzo, not the innocent people. =_= Then he can come back and marry Sakura D**

**-Sasusaku chapter, (*hides from Itasaku fans*) Ehehehe do not worry, it is important to the plot, they're not just fillers to entice sasusaku fans xD I am building up the feelings and plots, each chapter is significant. xD Some may seem unimportant, such as the last chapter (.), but it would help you understand the feelings of the characters or for just plain knowledge that you can look back to. Like…the chapter: Glass Soul, it's sort of slightly useless in some way, but it gives you an idea of how Sakura's personality is, ne? Or the chapter: Letter from an Angel, it shows that despite her Konoha memories, she still thinks of her nii sans. xD Or the chapter: Our fallen angel, it's just a series of flash backs but it shows how special Sakura is to them? XD So yes my seemingly insignificant chapters hold some key information too . xD **

**-Yeah another experimental style: Song fic. xD **

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 10**

**~Kiss the Girl~ **

Sakura awoke to the twittering of the birds outside and the sunlight kissing her face. Her pink lashes fluttered open and she slowly sat up. Her hand raked through her cherry blossom pink hair, and her other hand stifled a yawn. That's when she realized both her hands were free. She turned to look at the other side of the bed, but there was no Sasuke.

Her fears had been realized. He wasn't there when she woke up. But he said he wouldn't leave her; he promised he would be there when she woke up. So…it had all been a lie? "Sasuke kun…" Her fingers trembled as she stared into the empty space.

"Sakura…" a voice whispered to her right. She turned and came face to face with the Uchiha. He had the emotionless mask on, but his eyes were softer. A smirk graced his lips as he bent down and whispered into her ear, "See…I'm here…"

She gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder earning her a widened smirk from Sasuke. Standing, she stretched her arms and glanced at Sasuke. "Well, I have to cook breakfast."

"Don't you have hospital work?"

"Shishou should have had it coming. I told her, didn't I? I had too many things to do and she added to them. So now I'm doing myself a favor and cutting myself some slack."

"Hn."

"So, I declare that I am free for the day!" She laughed and walked out of the room. She skipped down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen where the first thing she did was grab her apron and pull out her pans.

Sasuke soon entered the same room and sat down on one of the stools of the kitchen island. The kitchen was filled with pinkish marble. The house, in plain words, was a house made for girls. Almost every room was a shade of red, white or pink save for a few guest rooms that were painted a more masculine color like blue, green or black. He figured it was in case they had male guests such as himself.

"Ow!" Sakura gave a small yelp. She had cut her finger in the process of cutting some carrots. Sasuke was quick to jump at the situation. He took her hand in his large ones and examined the wound.

"It's not a big deal," But Sasuke wasn't listening. He held the finger up and placed it inside his mouth. Sakura blushed dark red when she felt his tongue roll over her finger.

"Sasuke kun…" His eyes looked up at her green ones. "I'm a medic nin, I can heal small cuts like this."

Sasuke straightened himself. He retracted her finger from his mouth then wiped it with his navy blue shirt, "Sorry."

Sakura shook her head still blushing, "Ah no, no, thank you," She waved her arms in protest to his apology before they sunk back to her sides.

Sasuke leaned on the counter watching her cut the vegetables. He was going to make sure that she wouldn't cut herself again especially since her eyes wavered back and forth between him and the vegetables. "Sakura," he called her attention, "concentrate on what you're doing. You're going to hurt yourself." He heard Sakura give a chuckle before replying an 'un'.

Seeing as she was now focused entirely on her cooking, he sat back down on the stool and watched her behind. From where he sat, he had a good view of her back side. His eyes took in her full figure: slender neck, broad shoulders, hourglass shape body, taut, round, hard ass—he coughed his thoughts away and emptied his mind. His thoughts were once again haunting him. But, he didn't hate them as much now.

Ever since their emotional incident last night, he'd begun thinking about her in more…indecent ways although he assumed his feelings, actions and thoughts about her now were just the effects of opening up to her. But still, the newly formulated, more blunt, thoughts in his head were slightly disturbing.

_There you see her _

_Sitting there across the way _

_She don't got a lot to say _

_But there's something about her _

And as if she read his mind, Sakura turned around and placed the vegetables on the kitchen island. Just one rectangular block of marble and wood away, Sakura gave him a smile before turning the stoves on. The stoves were found on one side of island, and the other was laid open for other actions. Tilting the chopping board a little, she began placing the vegetables in. He heard the bubbling sounds of the water boiling the vegetables. She pulled up a chair and sat in front of the stove, so she didn't need to stand the whole time.

_And you don't know why _

_But you're dying to try _

_You wanna kiss the girl _

But Sasuke wasn't watching the pot. He was watching her slightly tilted downward head that gave him full view of her naturally pink lips. And he became even more engrossed with her lips when she licked them in one swift movement. For a moment, Sasuke froze. His thoughts were welcomed, yes, but he still didn't like them—rather, it disturbed him. Her lips were now wet, shiny, and entirely desirable. His eye twitched at the prospect of what he would—wanted—to do.

_Yes, you want her _

_Look at her,_

_You know you do _

The urges he got from the previous days were emerging and building up all at once. He had been—was—dismissing these urges away, but Sakura was making it hard for him. The way her pink lashes batted at him, the way she unconsciously licked her lip, the way she'd bend over to pick up something and reveal some cleavage or show off her well rounded rear end, all were innocently done—but it was annoyingly arousing for him.

_It's possible she wants you, too _

_There is one way to ask her _

Sakura noticed him staring from across the table and blushed a light shade of pink. Sasuke's stare was uncomfortable because it reminded her of a hungry, salivating wolf in heat. Probably, it was the food, but he wasn't looking at the pot. He was looking at her. Her lips pursed together, and realized they were dry. Her initial reaction was always to lick it. A chill ran down her spine when his eyes snapped up because she had licked her lip. He was watching her lips! But, it flattered her more than it offended her. Somehow, she liked the way he was watching her. Still, it was vaguely disturbing that he was watching her lips so keenly.

_It don't take a word _

_Not a single word _

_Go on and kiss the girl _

Sasuke's body temperature rose. He had the sudden urge to _pounce_ on her. Pounce was a rather rash word, but it fit the description well. That was exactly what he wanted to do. But, he was dearly resisting the urge to do so because he knew Sakura wouldn't like it. He glanced at her, and noticed that she too was looking at him…blushing. He tore his eyes away from her realizing that she had realized what he'd been doing.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la _

_My, oh, my _

_Look at the boy too shy _

_He ain't gonna kiss the girl _

Sasuke grunted and decided to stare at the fruits basket to get his mind off things. A light tinge of pink was splashed on his face from his earlier embarrassment. He couldn't believe that he was thinking of _kissing her. _It must've been the effect of last night. That's right, it's just because they got closer that he was feeling this way. It must've had that effect, since Sakura and Naruto would kiss once in a while, didn't they? But the sudden thought of Naruto and Sakura kissing somehow annoyed him. He took a peek at Sakura and his gaze couldn't help but fix on her lips again. A lump formed in his throat when he started imagining another man, especially Naruto, kissing her. He swallowed the lump and dismissed the thoughts immediately.

Sakura turned away when he did and busied herself with the cooking. She had finished the chop suey dish that she prepared first, and was now starting to cook the filling for the Onigiris.

Sasuke, now recomposed, glanced at the amount of ingredients and guessed that she was making a big meal. "What's with all the food?" He asked without making eye contact or even looking at her.

Sakura, refusing to make eye contact as well, answered, "Ah my aunt is coming home later. She gave me a call yesterday and told me she'd be coming home earlier than expected." She heard Sasuke give a grunt.

"Ah Sasuke…?" The way she said his name sent a slight tingle in Sasuke's spine. "Hn?" He made sure she wouldn't see his…discomfort.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la _

_Ain't that sad_

_Ain't it shame, too bad _

_You gonna miss the girl _

"Could you watch the pot? I'll change." She stood up and headed to the door. When Sakura had stood, Sasuke unconsciously copied her and stood up as well. His leg twitched. He didn't want her presence to disappear and had to urge to pull her back. Sakura raised a brow at him. With the look she gave him, Sasuke grunted the urge off and sat back down. Then, he heard her shuffle out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

After a few minutes, Sakura came back down in casual clothes. She wore a maroon vest over a black spaghetti strap top that poked out through the deep V cut of the vest. She wrapped bandages over her stomach for padding. Her usual khaki short skirt hung loosely from the waist until it ended halfway her thighs. Her tights peaked out from below her skirt. More bandages covered her right thigh where her handy ninja pouch was strapped over the bandages. The pinkette had her black leather knee-high boots.

Sakura beamed a smile that disappeared as quickly as it came at the entranced Uchiha before she started setting up the dining table. "Erm, she'll be here in a few hours, is it okay if we wait?" Sasuke gave a grunt and turned away from the newly dressed kunoichi. Oh he was aching on the inside because her new outfit was thoroughly accenting her…parts.

"Sasuke?" She called out to him and he grunted—the basic reaction—in response. "Would you please help me cut some of the herbs for the chicken here?" Sasuke gave an internal groan and walked on over to her. A knife was handed to him and he unwillingly accepted.

It wasn't that he didn't want to help her. It was because his arm kept brushing against hers when he was chopping. He kept slicing herbs, but his thoughts told him that he could slice so much more than herbs. His thoughts told him that that knife could very well slice the emerald-eyed girl's vest, then her spaghetti straps off, then—"Sasuke kun?" He pushed his dirty thoughts away and glanced at her hands—her slender creamy hands that could do things to him—oh he had to stop.

"hn?" He vaguely replied with half lidded eyes to signify his interest, which was little, "could you crush the herbs?" He grunted in response, and started pounding the leaves of the freshly chopped herbs. Sakura, noticing that he had finished, instructed him to pour the herbs into the bowl with the other stuffing ingredients. Sasuke moved behind Sakura and silently poured the crushed herbs into the bowl in Sakura's hands. Placing his own bowl to the side, he noticed his rather awkward predicament.

_Now's your moment_

_Floating in a blue lagoon _

_Boy, you better do it soon _

_No time will be better _

His hand, still extended towards his bowl, framed Sakura's right while his other hand framed the other. Sasuke swallowed hard. He felt his face go hot with a blush. They were close, so close, and she didn't even notice it. She was too held up mixing the stuffing ingredients that she didn't notice the panicking—and Uchiha Sasuke did not panic— boy behind her. "Sa…Sakura," he unconsciously called to her.

Tipping her head up from her work to look at the Uchiha, her sea green eyes met with his charcoal ones. For few seconds, Sasuke's near black orbs stared into hers intently. His face inched a little down closer to hers. Sakura noticed his approaching face and blushed a deep red when she realized what was happening.

_She don't say a word _

_And she won't say a word _

_Until you kiss the girl _

Sakura wanted to pull away—she really did—but her body didn't let her. Sasuke wouldn't let her either because his muscular arms had her trapped. Her blush deepened when Sasuke's face inched closer to hers. Her knees trembled with anticipation and her body felt like it could just melt under the pressure of his body so close to hers.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

_My, oh, my _

_Look at the boy too shy _

_He ain't gonna kiss the girl_

Sasuke realized what he was doing and turned away with a blush on his cheeks. He pulled away to gain have some distance between them and walked over to the dining table. He was actually about to _kiss_ Sakura. What was he thinking? His thoughts were slowly becoming actions. His heart was still hammering against his chest. He faintly placed a hand to feel his rapidly beating heart in an attempt to calm it down.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la _

_Ain't that sad_

_Ain't it shame, too bad _

_You gonna miss the girl _

When Sasuke moved away, she couldn't feel a little disappointed. She mentally slapped herself. Why would she be disappointed? She should've been grateful he didn't continue what he was about to do what she was thinking—somehow hoped—he would do. But, it occurred to her that maybe he _wasn't_ going to kiss her—maybe he was just…examining her big forehead? It was possible. Then it came again, the feeling of disappointment. So she had _wanted_ him to kiss her? No, she wouldn't have any of that because Sakura wouldn't let her emotions get the better of her. Sakura had gotten over Sasuke a long time ago. Sasuke was a friend, a teammate and now a confidant—nothing else. And it would stay like that…right? Her inner Sakura had disappeared, and Sakura dearly wished she would show up.

Sakura coughed and turned the stove off because the onigiri filling had finished. Quietly, she placed the filling and molded it into the packed rice. She worked in silence for a while before Sasuke heard the ceramic thud of the plate being placed on the table. His eyes moved and fixed themselves at the pair of hands that was setting the table. Later, Sakura's hands withdrew from his vision. He turned his head to follow her hands and ended up looking at Sakura's whole body. She was looking at him—her emerald eyes were staring at him.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la _

_Don't be scared _

_You got the mood prepared _

_Go on and kiss the girl _

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la _

Suddenly, the air around them thickened. Pressure was building up in the atmosphere. Sasuke stood, that certain pressure getting to him, and faced the pinkette. His leg twitched, her eyes were beckoning him to come. Sakura stood still, even when he stood, she didn't move. She was unsure of what she was doing or trying to do. Her heart was beating fast, and her hand trembled. Why was she so scared? Was it because it would be her first? First what? What did she expect to come of the situation?

_Don't stop now _

_Don't try to hide it how_

_You wanna kiss the girl _

Sasuke inched closer. His pace, slow at first, then it quickened. He found himself pushing Sakura against the wall and gazing into her crystal green eyes. They were baiting him, and he—as stupid as it was—took the bait. Everything around him was screaming for him to come and—what did her body want him to do? He didn't know what _she_ wanted to do, but he definitely knew what _he_ wanted to do. His face inched closer to hers. His stony eyes began shutting, and his lips anticipated the touch that was to come next.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

_Float along _

_Listen to the song _

_The song say kiss the girl _

His mind was yelling. Sasuke knew _exactly_ what he wanted, and being an Uchiha, he would get what he wanted. His hand, firmly placed an inch next to Sakura's head, wrapped its fingers onto her pink locks. His other hand caressed her face and neck. His face drew closer. Half lidded onyx eyes watched her green eyes. They were watching him intently, as if they were unaware of what was going to happen.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la _

_Music play _

_Do what the music say _

_You wanna kiss the girl_

True enough, Sakura didn't know what was going to happen. A small part of her shuddered at the thought of Sasuke's lips against hers, but a big part of her was scared at the prospect of Sasuke betraying her again. But he made a promise didn't he? He said that he wouldn't leave her? Her emerald eyes studied him—did he mean what he was going to do? For a moment, Sakura hesitated by pulling her head away. But her cheek was locked firmly in place by Sasuke's caressing hand—his strong yet gentle hands. Oh how badly she wanted those hands to caress far more than her face. "Sasuke…" She whispered to which he replied by drawing his face nearer to hers. Her inner was screaming cheers inside her brain.

An inch apart, she studied his face: his raven black hair, his onyx eyes, his parted lips ready for the kiss, his rigid but soft face. Sakura started mentally whispering his name and beckoned him to go on and kiss her. She shut her eyes and pictured his lips against hers, and his hands traveling up and down her waist. She pictured images of them doing more than kissing to which she blushed a deep red. Her eyes fluttered open to take in his features again. But, she was met with a different face. For a split second, she saw Itachi nii san drawing closer to her instead of Sasuke.

_You've got to kiss the girl _

_Why don't you kiss the girl _

In shock, she suddenly shoved the Uchiha away whispering an inaudible 'nii san' in the process. Sasuke's eyes shot open and saw the trembling Sakura slump down to the floor. Sakura did not want to kiss him? Sasuke breathed out a sigh and approached Sakura. He extended a hand to grab her, but she slapped it away.

_You gotta kiss the girl _

_Go on and kiss the girl_

Realizing what she had done, Sakura stood, "I'm sorry." She ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She heard Sasuke yell her name before she entered her room and shut the door behind her.

Gasping and panting, she held her hand up and pressed it to her lips and trembled. Of all people, why had she seen Itachi nii san in Sasuke's place? Did she wish it were Itachi nii san instead of Sasuke? Why? Why did he appear instead of Sasuke?

Her heart was beating terribly fast. Sakura limply fell onto her pink bed. Her thoughts were running wild. What had she just done?

Downstairs, Sasuke jammed his hands into his pants' pockets and left the kitchen. It was unbearably hard for one such as him to show emotions—in words or actions. He was so angry, sad and disappointed all at once and he didn't know what to do.

One moment she was luring him, her body screaming for him to touch her, then the next she was running away from him. What did she want? Was she trying to test him? Was she embarrassing him? Was it a joke? No, Sakura wasn't mean like that. So she was unsure? She wasn't ready? Was it her first? Or she didn't want him to kiss her at all?

He needed a walk badly. He didn't give a damn about those anbu or if his probation would be longer. He just needed to take a walk to get his mind off of things. He entered the receiving room. He had barely made it in when he noticed someone sitting on the ledge of the shoe rack.

His onyx eyes widened in shock. There, before him, was a woman with red hair and light gray eyes. He froze. His initial reaction would have been to slam her against the wall. His second was to kill her immediately, but she didn't look like she could do harm. The woman, successfully taking her heels off, lifted her head. Her light gray eyes met with his dark gray ones. There was silence for a while before a piercing scream broke it.

Sakura shot up from her reminiscing state and darted out the door. She turned a corner and froze when she entered the living room. On the couch sat a woman with red hair, across her was Sasuke. Both their heads turned to her when she entered the room.

"Ah Saku chan!" The red headed woman dashed and wrapped her arms around her niece. "I'm home!"

The medic nin gave a relieved sigh, "Oba san…welcome home, but what was the scream earlier about?"

"Ah nothing I just bumped into your friend here. I thought he was some intruder or something. You know me…" The said aunt pulled away and sat back down on the velvety pink sofa. "I see the rumors were true…" Her gray eyes were directed at the male who sat opposite to her on the recliner.

Sakura sat next to her aunt. She gave her a nod of confirmation, "This is Uchiha Sasuke, you know, my former teammate?"

Akane gave a curt nod, "Oh yes," her voice was deeper and was mischievous, "I _know_ Sasuke kun all too well…" A smirk found its way on her velvet lips. She was like a cat grinning at her prey.

Both Sakura and Sasuke raised their eyebrows in question to her aunt's actions.

"Uchiha Sasuke, survivor of the Uchiha clan, former team seven member and now…former missing nin…" Akane smiled as the said person narrowed his eyes at her.

Sasuke grunted at the woman. What she had said were basic information about him. Anyone could have looked into his files and said that to him. But she knew that, didn't she? So why was she looking at him like she knew a deep secret of his? What could she have possibly known? He didn't have anything to hide.

Akane stared at the Uchiha as if she were studying him. Her gray eyes looked up him up and down before she finally turned to Sakura after a long time of scrutinizing the boy, "Saku chan, do you mind getting me tea? I'm parched, darling."

"Eh? Alright Oba san," Sakura stood and headed to the kitchen. She glanced back at the two before disappearing through the door.

The two sat in silence for a long time. Akane and Sasuke watched each other and studied each other. And after a few moments of quiet scrutinizing, Akane decided to make the first move, "So…Sasuke kun…you've been living with my Saku chan for the past how many days?"

"Four," a simple one word reply, what more could one expect from Uchiha Sasuke the one-word sentence speaker?

Akane nodded, "You are a man of few words I see…Men like you," She paused to see if Sakura was back yet, but she wasn't, "Men like you express themselves through actions more than words,"

This woman was annoying the heck out of Sasuke. He sat there, agitated, wondering what the hell was with the Harunos and understanding people and thinking they knew them? From the moment she screamed, Sasuke had grown to dislike the woman. Her judging of him didn't help either.

"Your kind of men are those that go by the saying, 'less talk and more action', ne?"

He gave a grunt. Your_ kind?_ So men were grouped into kinds like animals now? His eye twitched. He had to endure this. He had to withstand the dire need to beat the woman senseless.

"Well, men like you, can't get along with us _emotional_ women," She flipped a part of her long hair so it was nestled on her back and cascaded with the rest of her wine red hair.

Actually it wasn't the fact that Sakura's aunt classified men into groups that annoyed Sasuke, nor was it the fact that she judged him and thought she knew him, no, the thing that annoyed Sasuke so much was her hair. Her red hair and cat-like smirk that so reminded him of a former teammate: Karin. He was, save for the least, thankful that she didn't have glasses on.

"Therefore one such as _you_, cannot be with my Sakura," She didn't sneer, she didn't break into a smile. She just gave him a blank, determined look that made Sasuke narrow his eyes at the red head. He was about to retort about 'being with her Sakura' when he heard an all too familiar voice scold her aunt.

"Oba san! I told you not to interrogate the men that come into our house. I assure you, Sasuke kun does not mean any harm!" Sakura came in just in time to hear her aunt judge Sasuke.

Tray in hand, she sat back down next to her aunt and served the tea. She gave an apologetic look at Sasuke, "I'm sorry Sasuke kun, my aunt dislikes men—bad history—and she finds if amusing to interrogate every man that comes in here."

Sasuke hn'ed, and relaxed back onto the recliner. So that was it? Sakura's aunt had done all that to _interrogate _him? He couldn't believe that he actually let the hag get to him. Although, her red hair still pissed him off.

"Well sorry darling, but you can never be too sure."

"Yeah, sure oba san," Sakura was sarcastic. She didn't like it when her aunt questioned all the men that came into her house. She felt sorry for any male that tried to woo her aunt. She'd seen them get their prides turn to nothing when it came to their aunt, but Her aunt explained that 'it was okay to bring their prides down—they had a lot of it anyway.'

"Don't worry Sasuke kun, it isn't just you. Kakashi sensei and Naruto kun were interrogated too," She gave a nervous chuckle because the stoic Sasuke was still glaring at her aunt.

"So, Akane oba san, you're finally back from your three month trip. What did you do?" Some months ago, Akane suddenly announced that she was leaving for a while. Sakura, being the busy medic, said it was okay. But, her aunt never really told her why she was leaving in the first place.

"Er, well, you know vacation—get a breather," Sakura narrowed her eyes at her aunt. She was up to something, "From what? Being a heart breaker? Auntie you don't even work…"

"Well, from society that's what!"

Sakura didn't want to argue anymore. She sighed and shook her head in defeat, "Whatever you did auntie, I'm just glad you're back safe." Her aunt was hard to crack, but she was assured that she would know in time. Her aunt was sneaky like that—a cat that came and went, its whereabouts a mystery.

All three perked up at the sound of someone knocking on the door. Sasuke was about to get up when Sakura raised her hand to stop him, "I'll get it," Sasuke's eyes lingered for a moment before he sat back down.

It was Sasuke and Akane alone again. But this time, Sasuke was ready. He made sure that he was ready for _any_ question she would throw at him. He was an Uchiha, and being one, he could handle any woman especially a civilian woman.

"Tell me Sasuke kun, and you don't have to hide it because I can tell," She took a sip from her cup of tea. Sasuke awaited her question, and he made sure to keep his temper in check. He was sure that he could handle anything.

"Do you like Sakura? More than a friend?"

Oh but nothing prepared him for that question. His composure dropped into a state of confusion. He didn't grunt, he didn't move, and for a second, he didn't breathe. All that careful preparation had been obliterated as he sank into uncomfortable silence.

Akane shifted her gaze from the ripples on her teacup to the frozen Uchiha that sat across her, "I take your silence as a yes?" She swirled the contents of her tea with the teaspoon, "Or perhaps…your silence means confusion?"

Sasuke's body twitched in a way that his eyes widened a little and his fingers jerked slightly.

Akane's deep red lips twitched into a satisfied mischievous smile, "I see…so you're not sure if you like Saku chan?" She gave a chuckle before setting the teacup onto the pink marble coffee table. One of her legs swung to cross over her other leg, and her hands laced together daintily on her lap.

"Interesting…I really like you Sasuke kun," her gaze and smile were so much like a Cheshire cat that Sasuke almost jumped at the prospect of Sakura's aunt being a cat disguised as a human female.

His theories were short-lived when Sakura came into the room worried and frantic, "Ah, er, auntie an anbu came by and said that the Hokage summoned us. Do you think you-"

"Darling, I'm almost 30, I can take care of myself." Her gray eyes turned into semi-circle slits that were pointing downwards, and her smile widened to assure Sakura.

Sakura stared at her aunt for a while before finally nodding to her, "Alright. Sasuke kun, you're coming with me."

Sasuke, inwardly relieved that he was finally getting away from Sakura's cat-like hag of an aunt, stood and placed himself beside the pinkette.

Sakura and Sasuke exited and headed towards Konoha palace. Sasuke tilted his head at Sakura as a way asking for details.

Sakura's eyes moved towards him. For a while she was unsure of whether she had the right to inform him. Finally, after a long sustained silence, her lips parted to utter one word:

"Akatsuki"

**XxxxxxX**

Hearing the door shut, Akane's widened smile faded. Her gray eyes dulled, and her face turned somber. Her wine red hair cascaded behind her as a bang fell over to cover her eyes. Teacup in hand, she headed to the window to stare at the grand Hokage Palace. A sad smile graced her lips before she sighed.

"I'm home Sakura…and you can't believe what I learned on my three month trip." She scoffed, "And I'm certain that you won't believe it," A finger swirled the tea, "I'm sure you'd like to know my darling niece, but it might destroy you…" she took a sip from tea then whiffed the aroma that came with it, "…And we can't have that now, can we?"

**XxxxxxX**

**-OH! What is Akane hiding from Sakura? :O **

**-So, yeah I was typing the first parts of the story with Kiss the Girl by Colbie Caillat. It'll be good if you listen to the song while reading the first part. It'll get you into the playful mood I was in when I typed it. xD I hope that you can find the relation between the song lyrics and what's happening in the story. To help you, it's lyrics first and then the story hehe. **

**-Ah yes Sasuke arc is done The Akatsuki are going to appear! I missed them OH so much lol, but that's my fault isn't it? . *Is shot again* **

**-Oh um, since another arc is finished, give me more time to think over and tweak the next arc. xD **

**-Madam Obscurum, "The Dark does not necessarily mean they are The Evil. It is the same as how being The Light means you are The Good—Whereas Light and Darkness are judged on their appearance, Good and Evil are judged on their deeds." (By Yours truly, Madam Obscurum :D ) **


	14. Chapter 11: Missions and Rumination

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Although, I did wish I owned Itachi and Sasuke. Then we'd have plenty of fun, ne? D**

**-Sorry for the late update. xD I sort of had a tough time piecing this arc together. xD Also, I've been watching newly bought anime dvds so…. Don't worry though, it gives me ideas and inspiration haha. **

**-Thank you reviewers! Can you believe this? This is my first fanfic and I already have about 100 reviews! O_O Thank you! I love you guys! You guys give me the will to keep writing. I never expected such a positive response. xD I actually thought it would fail or something like that.**

**-Jesselovemeto: Congrats! You got 100****th**** review! 3 =D **

**-So a brand new arc :o Akatsuki hunt arc. YES They are finally here. xD I missed you all! XD**

**-I apologize to ItaSaku fans, I drenched you in Sasusaku . don't worry ItaSaku moments on the way. **

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 11**

**~Missions & Rumination ~**

_ Drip, drip, drip_

Water rolled from the stalactites that hung on the ceiling and dripped onto the barren floor. The cave was expansive, able to fit several people. This cave, though able to fit many, only had ten people inside, and a colossal statue in the middle. The statue's head was the only thing visible. It was embedded halfway through the cavern's walls, and its outstretched hands emerged from the ground as if reaching to some divine deity.

The ten people who gathered in that cave stood on a finger each, being that the statue had ten fingers. The lack of light in the cave shrouded the fingers in shadow, concealing their identities.

"Leader sama," a group of voices called in unison.

The one called 'leader sama' gave a nod. This figure, who stood higher than all of the others, stared down at them with gray ringed eyes. They settled, various pairs of eyes in different colors stared back at leader sama. "Kakuzu," the leader turned to the figure on the left hand's middle finger, "report."

"Our first goal has been reached," bright venomously green eyes stared back at the leader, "We have enough finance to continue our second goal's objectives: First, gather mercenaries loyal only to Akatsuki; second, provoke the smaller nations to use our services, which are cheaper, instead of the bigger shinobi villages; third—"

"Use the captured tailed beasts to create havoc," Leader sama finished it for the green eyed man.

"Yes, leader sama, however—"

"We lack the tailed beasts…"

The one named Kakuzu cleared his throat, "Uh yes,"

"That is exactly why we, the Akatsuki, are gathered here," Leader sama gave each member a passing glance before continuing with what he had to say, "I shall assign you all to specific tailed beasts. Retrieve them, and bring them here or to any other drop off points, do you all understand?"

In unison, they all said, "Yes, leader sama"

One by one, the leader assigned each pair a specific tailed beast. "Do you have any questions?"

A figure, jumping up and down the left thumb, called out, "YES! How come Zetsu San and Tobi don't have a target?"

The leader turned to the figure who was ecstatically jumping up and down, "Because, Tobi, you and Zetsu shall be spies and—"

"Yey! Spies! Tobi can't wait!" Several Akatsuki members, save for the less interested ones, turned to glare at the annoyingly loud new member. Leader, being one of the less interested, turned to the rest, "Any other questions?"

A figure, his long hair tied into a half pony on the top of his head and the rest cascaded on his back, spoke, "I have a question, yeah. How came the one-tail and nine-tailed beasts aren't here, yeah?"

The leader, with a glint in his swirling eyes, answered, "That is a good question, Deidara. These beasts are to be the last ones to be captured. The one tailed beast is a Kazekage. He will be heavily guarded, and if he is slain then news will reach their ally: Konoha. Konoha is one of the most powerful Shinobi nations. They harbor the nine-tailed beasts, as well. Attacking either one of them first will alert the other shinobi nations, and force them to take action. It is best to take them all by surprise, and from behind."

"But, if we attack the _other_ big shinobi nations, Konoha and Suna will be alerted, yeah?"

"True, but even if that is so, they won't be able to gather allies because we would've crushed them at that point."

The one called Deidara nodded his head in recognition to his leader's answer.

"Anymore questions?"

Silence answered the leader. He took it as a sign that there were no more, "Well then, since there are no more questions, we shall gather here again if there are any problems. Remember, under no circumstances, do you face off with large shinobi nation's shinobis. We cannot afford our goals to be known, nor do we want them tailing after us. Also, according to Zetsu, the Konoha anbu are searching for any information they can get their hands on—watch your actions. So, for now, you are all dismissed."

Then, as if none of them were ever there, they disappeared into the shadows without a trace.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura and Sasuke ran up the stairs of Konoha palace. None of them were breaking a sweat nor panting because they were—as they called them—highly trained shinobi. They skipped the last step and darted down the halls. Upon seeing the doors they were aiming for, Sakura shot her hand out and pushed the door as slowly as she could. But, her eagerness sent it banging against the wall.

"Naruto! How many times do I have to tell you not to—Oh Sakura" Tsunade had been staring out the window when she heard the door open with a bang. The hokage, thinking it was the ever-so-loud Naruto, turned to scream at him when she noticed two people instead of one, and pink hair instead of blonde.

She nodded to both of them and sat down on her hokage chair. She assumed her usual hokage sitting lets-get-down-to-business position: elbows on the table, and either her forehead or chin resting on laced fingers. "That was fast. So we—"

"OLD LADY!"

That…was definitely the loud-mouthed Naruto, "I am NOT old!" She yelled at Naruto who grew silent when Sakura threatened him with her fist—and kami the apprentice was glad Sakura was there to hit him for her.

Naruto, scratching the back of his head with his signature grin, chuckled nervously, "Ah so…what did you call us here for?" the blonde took his place next to Sakura after shooting a glare at Sasuke—a playful routine he did when he saw Sasuke.

Just as Naruto reminded Tsunade of the matters she had to discuss, her face went grave. She heaved a sigh before turning to her apprentice, "Sakura, how has Uchiha been?"

Sasuke inwardly rolled his eyes. There they were again, talking like he wasn't there.

"Well, Sasuke kun's been…er…acquiescent…" She tried to find the right word to his actions. Tsunade raised a brow, "Acquiescent?"

The blond's hand found its way onto his head and began scratching his head. "Erm, Sakura chan, what does aqua scent mean?" Sakura groaned. Seriously, if the boy scratched his head for everything he didn't know he would've scratched his scalp away, "He's been compliant…"

Naruto cocked his head. Sakura gritted her teeth and, in a raspy low voice, said, "Obedient."

Sasuke twitched at the word. He wasn't some dog, couldn't she have used a better word? Oh right, she tried.

"Ah I see…" Tsunade nodded in understanding, "And do you believe that Uchiha Sasuke is ready to be released?"

Sasuke's dark gray orbs lit up with a gleam of hope. He was going to be let go?

Sakura gawked at her master, "So early?"

Sasuke glanced back and forth between the Hokage and her apprentice. The Hokage was asking Sakura for advice? He found it quite unlikely, but hoped anyway that Sakura would approve.

"So you deem it unfit?"

His hope of a little freedom was slowly dying out…

"Ah it's not that,"

…And lighting up again.

"it's just been four days, that's all"

"And with this short amount of time, do you think he can be allowed to roam free?"

For a while, Sakura sunk back into her thoughts. Was Sasuke ready to be freed from probation? He was missing for three years, truth be told, four days wasn't enough. But, from what she'd seen, especially of last night, he was ready.

And, after a long time of disappearance, her inner appeared. **"And what if he runs off again?"**

"That's the thing, but he promised"

"…Sakura?" Tsunade squinted her eyes to take a good look at Sakura because, at the moment, she seemed to be talking to…herself?

** "Oh so, you'll say yes he's okay to go because he made a verbal promise? A promise that can be easily thrown away?"**

"But I believe he wouldn't do so…"

"Ah Sakura chan?" Naruto fidgeted around. He often saw Sakura mutter things to herself, but never talk aloud like this. He waved his hands in front of Sakura, but she didn't budge.

** "And when he leaves you're going to block his path, tell him you love him, and wait till he says thank you then knocks you out and places you on a bench?"**

"First of all, I was young. Second, I won't tell him I love him again—that's crazy! Third, No I will not wait for him to say thank you, if he creeps up behind me I'll just punch _him_ and place _him_ on a bench."

Sasuke twitched. She was obviously talking about him.

**"Hey, I'm just helping here. Suit yourself. So, you gonna say yes or no? If you say yes, there's a danger he'll leave, but if you **_**really**_** trust him…Do you?"**

"…Yes. I trust him…"

Sakura turned to Sasuke with a small smile. Then, turning to her shishou, her softened jade eyes turned hard emerald—strong with determination, "Yes, I believe that he can be let go from probation."

Tsunade, still amazed at the fact that her apprentice was talking to herself a few moments ago, nodded. "Ah, I see…that's good then."

Sakura raised a brow, "Good?"

Again, Tsunade's face went grave, "Well, you see, I was planning to send the entire team 7 on a mission…"

Naruto, all hyped up at the mention of a new mission, jumped up with excitement, "Alright! A mission! What's our mission, ne, ne, ne?" He had unconsciously made his way towards the Hokage and was blocking the view of her from the others.

"Naruto!" Sakura grabbed Naruto by the collar and shoved him behind her.

Tsunade, taking the moment to glance at each of their faces, sighed, "It's the Akatsuki. We've found some disturbing information about their next move."

"And what is their next move?" Sakura tried her best to slow down the beating of her heart. It was beating with fear, suspense and…thrill? Why would she be thrilled to know the whereabouts of the Akatsuki?

Her inner, who she thought was gone, spoke, **"Because you'll finally get to beat up high class ninja? Because Sasuke will finally beat up his brother and will be at peace?" **

Sakura shooed her inner away and focused on what the Hokage had to say. But, before Tsunade could continue, several poofs were heard: one on the window, two from behind them. Sakura and Naruto turned around and spied three all too familiar figures.

Sasuke, not knowing who the other two were, only recognized the man on the window. So he still came in through windows instead of doors like normal people? Well, Kakashi was never normal, anyway. His gaze turned to the other two.

One of them looked like an ordinary jounin. The only thing that differentiated him from the rest was the helmet-like thing on his head. The other one looked suspicious to him. His face was pale, and a wide grin plastered on it—obviously fake. His eyes were stoic, a little like his, and he was clad in an all black suit. His navel, exposed for all eyes to see, was just as pale as the rest of his body.

"Hello Dickless," He was referring to a now frustrated Naruto, "Hello ugly," this one was referred to a disgruntled Sakura who was holding back her fist from meeting his face. Now he knew that he definitely didn't like this guy.

Sakura was _not_ ugly. She was beautiful. Her white, but not pale, skin, her naturally soft pink lips, her exotic, but gorgeous pink hair—why, Sakura had a face made by an angel! No, Sakura _was _an angel. She—what had he just thought? Sakura was…what? Sasuke gritted his teeth then brushed his thoughts away.

"Nice to see you too…Sai kun…" Sakura managed to say through gritted teeth.

_Sai? So that's his name?_ Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the black-haired boy. _And kun? How friendly is Sakura with this guy?_

Noticing but ignoring the Uchiha's glares, Sai turned to the Hokage who was biting her thumb. She was growing impatient, or so Sakura guessed because her Shishou bit her thumb when she was impatient or frantic about something.

Yamato, Sasuke found his name out by hearing Sakura call him 'Yamato-sensei', stepped forward and nodded to the Hokage. Kakashi, standing next to him, shut his book as a sign that he, too, was paying attention.

Tsunade's hazel eyes scrutinized the group of people that stood before her: The Kyuubi container aspiring to be the hokage, a pink-haired female medic with Herculean strength, an emotionless ex-anbu root member, a stoic clan survivor and former missing nin, a genetically mutated jounin with the same powers as the first, and a gray haired, one eyed, copy nin pervert. It occurred to her that Team 7 was filled with—in plain words—_freaks_. She mentally shook herself because a team of 'freaks' was what they needed in order to defeat another group of 'freaks'.

"Um, Shishou, what are the details of the mission?"

Tsunade glanced at Sakura and for the third time that night, her face grew stern, "This piece of information regarding the Akatsuki," Both Yamato and Kakashi stiffened at the mention of the name, "leads us to believe that they will strike the land of lightning."

"Land of lightning? Why?" The lightning country was, like the fire country, a great nation. There was a lot that could be gained, and a lot to be lost because it had a strong shinobi village: Kumogakure.

Tsunade shook her head, "That's all we received from the transmission…" her eyes gazed at the floor for a few moments before she continued, "That is why I am sending team seven to scout and gather information. I suppose you know why there's a lot of you?"

Team seven all nodded in unison, save for Sai and Sasuke who gave the hokage understanding gazes instead.

"Right. That's all that I have to say. You shall all leave early tomorrow. Take the rest of the day off to pack and do other necessary preparations." Tsunade turned to face the window, so the 'gamble' kanji was clearly seen by the others.

After a unified 'yes', they all poofed away in a puff of smoke. Tsunade stood over the window that overlooked the village of Konoha. She spied some of the team seven members outside and sighed to herself. A crinkle was formed between her two eyebrows as they furrowed down, "Be safe…"

**XxxxxxX**

"Um…N-Naruto kun…" A stuttering Hinata had her index fingers pressed to one another. She was clad in her usual ninja outfit—purple jacket and ankle high pants—and was looking at a sighing Naruto.

The blue eyed blond perked up when he heard his loved one's voice, "Hm? What is it Hinata chan?"

The Hyuuga girl blushed as she took a step forward, "Ne, Hinata chan, don't tell me you're still shy around me?" The blond pouted.

"Ah n-no i-it's j-just—" Hinata was cut off when the blond's hand latched onto her wrist and pulled her towards him. "Just?" The proximity between her and the kyuubi container made her blush an even deeper shade of red, "U-um…"

Naruto, grinning at her blush, moved his arm from her wrist to wrap around her slim waist. His forehead touched hers in an attempt to stare into her clear eyes, "You're worried?"

Hinata, shifting uncomfortably in embarrassment, gave a curt nod to which made Naruto's grin widen, "Ne, you don't have to worry! I'm going to be Hokage and if one of those _weak_ Akatsuki kill me, how am I going to be one?" He pulled an inch away from Hinata and placed a hand behind his head to scratch it.

The female glanced down, "B-but, Naruto kun…I…" Naruto's sheepish grin was replaced with an understanding smile. His once jumpy blue eyes turned to a softened sapphire. Gently, he rested both his arms around her waist and pulled her into his chest earning a deep blush from the girl. "Hinata chan, I'll be back, safe and sound alright?"

Small tears grazed his black shirt as Hinata cried softly onto it, "Y-you better N-Naruto kun…I w-won't be able to s-stand i-it i-if you don't…!" Naruto smoothed the length of her hair one hand, and his other found its way to grasp her chin lightly. He tilted it up with one hand and pulled her into a deep kiss. Hinata's arms slid up from her sides to wrap around his neck to share in their passionate kiss.

**XxxxxxX**

A calm Akane made her way towards Sakura's room. She knocked on her door gently then waited until the pinkette called out 'come in'. She entered her room, cup of tea in hand, and sat on one of the pink single-seater sofa.

Sakura paced back and forth in her room mentally checking things off of her to-bring list—just one of her man to-'something' lists. "Saku chan…?" Sakura, in the middle of her frantic search for a forgotten brush, turned her head to her aunt, "Hm?"

Akane gave her a meek grin, "Um, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Sakura dove down below her bed to retrieve a pair of scrolls. She muttered a 'gotcha' then continued her search for the missing brush.

"Ah when…" She took in a deep breath, "When you were missing…?" gray eyes fixed on fiddling fingers.

"M, what about when I was missing?" Sakura shoved clothes left and right in an attempt to see deeper into her closet.

"Um, did you live with anyone?"

Sakura poked her head from her closet and studied her aunt. She was unusually sane—not that she was _in_sane—she was sober, un-giddy, and un-perky. "Er, yes…? Why are you asking?"

"Ah no reason. Just, um, do you know who they are?"

"Well yes, I did _live_ with them." Her eyes narrowed at her suspicious aunt, "Why?"

"Oh I just thought it would be good to thank those good civilians." Her velvety red lips twisted into a grin.

Sakura shook her head, "Ah no they're not civilians, they're shinobi." then plunged her head inside her closet for another round of searching. Her brush was a matter of life and death because she was going to be the only female, and she doubted that those males would remember to bring one.

"Shinobi? Do you know their abilities?"

"Just vaguely. They're excellent shinobi though." Her muffled voice echoed throughout the closet's interior.

"Ah I see…do you know their names?"

"Of course I do."

"Can you tell them one of their names, so that…um…when I thank them, I'll know who to look for first?"

"Aha!" Sakura announced by pulling out a pink brush, "So that's where you've been hiding, sneaky hiding place!" She giggled and tossed the brush inside her bag with the rest of her things. Sitting with her knees raised up and the soles of her feet resting on the edge of the bed, she turned to her aunt.

"If it's someone to thank then you should look for Itachi nii san,"

For a moment, Akane's eyes bolted into a dilated state before they were forced to settle down to normality. However, a lump on her throat formed upon hearing the name, "I-Itachi…nii san?"

Sakura gave a curt nod then cocked her head to the side, "What's wrong, Akane oba san?"

Akane jerked a little, shifting her position in an attempt to hide her fidgeting, "Ah no, nothing's wrong…um it's just…Itachi…it's a weird name, it means weasel, you know?"

For a moment, Sakura pondered on the new information that had streamed into her. Then, she began clutching her stomach while roaring in laughter, "Oh yeah! Haha, Itachi nii san's name means weasel…Weasel nii san!" She gave a satisfied sigh before she finally regained her 'sanity'.

"Ah well, it is funny indeed. Um, so, if I ever see him, I'll be sure to thank him then…ne?"

Sakura, raising a brow at her aunt, gave a slow, unsure nod. "Sure,"

Standing to exit, she turned to Sakura and gave her a reassuring smile before walking down the hall.

Short, but quick steps were heard from the hall. Akane was restless because the information in her head was swirling continuously. The throbbing in her temples didn't help either. Midway the hall, she stopped. Her hand, open palmed, rested on the wall, and her breathing hitched here and there. Her other hand was nestled between her breasts moving up and down with her quick breathing.

The information was all too hard to digest. The hand on the wall made its way to rub her temple in an attempt to stop the throbbing. Her gray eyes were filled with frenzy, and confusion. Sweat trickled down the sides of her head as she began trembling.

"So…it's true then…" She whispered in a barely audible voice.

"Hn." She let out a gasp, hand on heart, and turned to see Sasuke leaning on the wall with his onyx eyes appearing through the shadows.

"Ah, Sasuke…it's you." She forced her breath to slow. Her hand on her temple wiped the sweat off of her face before giving a grin,

"Is something wrong?" The uchiha stared at her with a raised brow. He had walked down to Sakura's room to check if everything was alright when he heard a series of uneven steps echo through the halls. He skipped Sakura's room to see who it was and found Sakura's aunt panting and sweating. Fortunately for Akane, he didn't come in time to hear her whisper.

She gave a nervous chuckle and raised her hands, waving them in the process, "Ah no, no, nothing's wrong, everything's fine." Akane quickly turned and darted down the hall.

Sasuke, refusing to further question the woman, grunted and headed back to Sakura's room. Because he wasn't the type to knock, entered the room. He found Sakura shoving down some scrolls down her pack. It made him smirk with the way the medic nin was grunting and groaning and her position was—once again, he shooed his thoughts away. "Sakura?"

She lifted her head, "Hm?"

"You done packing?"

"Well, yes…sort of…help?" Her green eyes pleaded to him and he eventually gave in and walked on over to the struggling kunoichi.

After minutes of shoving down, pulling out, reorganizing, and shoving down again, they were finally able to fit all of Sakura's items in her miniscule but fully loaded pack. They, reclined on the bed, both panted, "Sakura, what was with all the scrolls?"

"Ah, those? They're summoning scrolls."

"Hn?"

"They summon more items," Sasuke gapped at the female, his eye twitching slightly. _She packed all those scrolls that contained more items in them?_ He didn't even bother to ask more as he lied back down on her bed.

"Ah Sasuke…?"

"Hn?"

"About last time…in the kitchen…I'm sorry. I slapped you."

"…It's alright…"

"Thanks, you're a great friend."

"Aa" His heart gave a silent cry as he inwardly cringed at the word 'friend'. Was that all he was to her?

**XxxxxxX**

A soft exhale of air. Itachi silently made his way to his bed. After a long day of training, tomorrow he, Deidara, Kisame, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan would be traveling to the cloud country to obtain the eight-tailed and two-tailed beasts, thus he needed to rest.

His pack was small, only able to hold his kunai, a scroll, and several shinobi gear. He was never one to travel heavy because he believed being a shinobi required surviving more while having less.

Leader sama was beginning to harbor the tailed beasts. When leader sama said the nine-tailed beast would be one of the last to be captured, he felt relief. Konoha would be safer for a little bit longer. Konoha, a place he loved and hated at the same time. The place held both good and bad memories for him, but he could only cherish the good ones and pardon the bad ones.

He had made his decisions. He had chosen his village over his clan. He had agreed to the mission, and he vowed never to regret it. He had kept his brother alive. He had told his brother to 'survive in an unsightly way'. He had made his brother hate him. He had asked the third Hokage to keep his brother safe. He had joined the Akatsuki to watch over Konoha. He had spent the years protecting Konoha from the Akatsuki. He had kept a watchful eye over Madara. And he had allowed himself to plunge willingly into the darkness.

He was also once a lot of things. He was once a prodigy. He was once a good son. He was once an older brother. He was once a best friend. He was once a student. He was once Anbu. He was once the pride of the Uchiha clan. He was once the pride of Konoha. He was once a good person.

And now—now he was still a lot of things. He was shinobi. He was a tool. He was emotionless. He was a murderer. He was a liar. He was a sinner. He was a traitor. And he was the thin line that stood between good and evil. He was caught between too tides that would never meet. He was too good to be evil. He was too evil to be good.

He was Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi heaved a sigh as he dismissed thoughts away. He lay on his bed, elbow behind his head as support, with his eyes on the ceiling. His eyes no longer held their dark gray color. Instead, it was crimson. The crimson color, his Sharingan, was on when he was either in battle or on guard, and Itachi was _always_ on guard. Thus, he always made sure the crimsonness was present.

He turned to lie on his side. He stared out into the night sky that glowed with thousands of twinkling stars through the glass veranda doors. He tilted his head upwards and spied something on his bedside table. Propping up on one elbow, he sat up and extended an arm to reach out towards the wooden box.

Holding it on his lap, he smoothed the lid with his fingers before lifting it. As soon as the lid was flipped, soft soothing music slowly filled the entire room. The music slowly crept up from the box then entangled his body before entering his ears. It was a calm lullaby—just what one needed to relax.

He shut the lid with a simple tap of his finger. He placed the box on the bedside table with a loud thud before lying down on his black satin-sheeted bed.

He didn't like the music from it. In fact, he hated it. The angel-like music that was to soothe the nerves did not work to its purpose for Itachi. It was quite the opposite. For Itachi, it didn't calm him down; instead, it agitated him beyond reason because it reminded him so much of _his_ angel. The angel, too pure to be in the hypocrite war-infested world, had gone back up to her heaven, and left him.

She was his only oasis in the expansive dirty desert. She had become his sanctuary, his haven, and his escape from all the madness. It was true that he did not deserve her. He did not have the right to claim the cherry blossom because one as tainted as he did not deserve even a fragment of goodness. And, she was the pure embodiment of goodness.

He often wondered how he found light at the exact moment when he plunged into the darkness. Was it the divine's way of giving him a second chance? Or was it an act of pity? Or perhaps an act of revenge sent from the slaughtered Uchihas? Whatever it was, he didn't know and didn't get the chance to find out because the angel, so pure and innocent, came to him and just as she came, she was gone.

_How long has it been? _The Uchiha counted the years since she had gone back to heaven. _6 years?_ It had been 6 years since she had gone. But to Itachi, those six years seemed to be six meager moments because he remembered—he remembered it all. And he remembered everything so vividly that it was even possible to think that the cherry blossom was right next to him at that very moment.

He could imagine her crawling next to him and asking if he could tell her a story. He would say no, and she would pout. He'd give her a stern glare and tell her to go to sleep, and she would comply. He would whisper to her a 'good girl' before she would fall asleep. And he would spend the night watching over her—his sweet angel.

_How old would she be if she were here? _He calculated in his head silently. She had been ten, and it had been six years. So, if the cherry blossom were alive, she would be sixteen. Ah, how would she have looked? He guessed she would have grown to be beautiful because even in her childish body, she was promising. He could imagine it: a lean figure, tall, slender, a beautiful body for her beautiful heart.

_Sixteen…she would be the right age for it, wouldn't she? _It was probably taboo, but Itachi had long planned to make the cherry blossom his. He had, long ago, planned to marry the cherry blossom when she came of age—if she would have him. But, all those plans had gone to waste when she was taken away from him—when she was recalled back to heaven.

"Sakura…" he whispered to something non-existant. And then, he shut his eyes and closed himself from the world. He hoped, as he slowly fell asleep, that Sakura would appear in his dreams. But, she didn't because he never dreamt.

**XxxxxxX**

Akane sat cross-legged on the edge of her velvet red king-sized bed. Her hand curved to support a glass of wine, and her other hand to fumble the edges of the bed's fabric. Fingers tightened against the cloth, scrunching it in the process. Her eyebrows wrinkled. Her gray eyes were as dull as the pavements that ran outside. She absent-mindedly chewed on her bottom lip while she ruminated.

"Take care Saku chan…please…don't break…" Her grip on the wine glass tightened until it shattered in her grasp. She gave no yelp or squeal. Instead, she allowed the red liquid to spill and blend with the red carpet below. Red liquid composed of wine…and blood. Her hand was bleeding, but she didn't mind it.

She scoffed at the idea of her blood mixed with wine, "Pleasure and Pain mingled together, I wonder, how does it taste?" She smirked before letting out a soft sigh escape her lips.

"Just be safe, my Saku chan. You don't know how fragile innocence is…" Her eyes lingered then latched themselves on the huge family portrait that hung across her. "Isn't that right, Saku nee chan?"

**XxxxxxX**

**-So yes, brooding moments with Ita kun. xD Again, Itasaku fans, gomen! XD . I know you want him to find out about Sakura chan already, but the circumstances say not yet. xD**

**-So yeah I've been reading some Sasusaku fics and I realize that every one of them has to have some scene where Sasuke gets a therapy from Sakura. xD Sorry I'm just rambling, but I mean it's just funny, is all. **

**-I'm warning you guys now, I won't be able to update every 24 hours now because of the length of the chapters. The chapters in this arc or the next ones are much longer than the previous (er, excluding this one)**

**-Madam Obscurum, "****The knowledge that makes us cherish ****innocence**** makes ****innocence**** unattainable.****" (Irving Howe) **


	15. Chapter 12: Behind the Clouds

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-Thank you for the reviews once again =D My dear faithful and loyal reviewers, thank you so much for constantly being there when a new chapter came out. =3**

**-Again, I warn you all that I can't update daily ^^; Especially since I'm researching how to solve love triangles. xD**

**-Kitten652: haha a KisaSaku? Hm, I never really thought they could be a couple (I mean it's possible I just didn't ever consider one) well, if I find some extraordinary plot to match up a Kisasaku pairing, then I'll write one ^^ And about character death, I was never really a fan of those kinds of stories. Haha however, you'll never know how my story will be D**

**-Takakuma: Well, as much as I want to answer that, I can't. xD I might slip some spoilers haha. And actually, I don't mind people asking =o I like it actually. It gives me ideas and helps me reconsider some things. It gets me thinking, y'know? =3 It actually helps to elaborate because I can understand what you're asking. =3 However, I only answer questions that relate to confusion on the topic, story etc. If it's about what's going to happen, I obviously can't answer that haha. w**

**-Lady Hanaka: I'm sorry, I seem to be upsetting you with my story updates . **

**-mangalover24: Ahaha yes, it makes me happy that you put effort to review each chapter when you could've reviewed the latest. ^^ Thank you =D**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 12**

**~Behind the Clouds~**

White, fluffy, clouds drifted in the sky. The birds were twittering, the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and it was a perfect day for a mission. Naruto, Sai and Yamato stood beneath the Konoha gates. They had been there on time and were awaiting the three others who were yet to come.

Naruto, arms folded behind his head, groaned, "They're late! I could understand it if it were Kakashi sensei, but Sakura chan and Teme?"

"Calm down Naruto, they'll be here," Yamato, smiling, reassured the impatient blond.

"Oh, there they are," Sai pointed at the pathway behind them. Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi walked side by side at a casual pace that agitated Naruto. "Oi!"

It took the three a few more moments before they reached the others. Sakura, pouting apologetically, told Naruto that her aunt had slowed them down because she made them a huge breakfast. "Ha! The hag was being nice to teme? Now that's plain unfair!"

"No, not really, she interrogated him too."

"Ah, so how did that go?"

"Well…" Sakura glanced at Sasuke whom grunted, "dobe, that's none of your business."

"Ah so she got to him too, huh?" Naruto grinned widely with cheeky slit-like eyes.

Sakura gave a nervous chuckle, refusing to say anymore. Kakashi, holding his icha icha paradise book, turned to his three students. "So, everyone ready?"

Naruto threw a fist in the air. His blue eyes and blond hair sparkled in the sunlight, and with a sheepish grin he yelled, "Yosh! Let's go!" His leader-like act earned him a groan from Sakura and a 'dobe' from the Uchiha.

Yamato chuckled and pat the kyuubi container on the head, "Alright, do you even know what direction Cloud is in?"

Naruto's excitement died down and was replaced with embarrassment, "Ah, er, of course I do! It's…"

"You don't know do you?" A sarcastic interjection from the pinkette.

"Ah…no."

"Hn, Dobe"

"What was that, Teme?"

"Now, now, you two stop fighting now," Kakashi had his hands up to try and calm the two down.

Sai, with his fake smile, watched the whole scene before him. _So, this is how dickless is with Sasuke kun? _

Sakura, from the background, smiled. They were a team once again. Team seven was back together again. Though, of course, they had two more members. But, there would be plenty of time for get-togethers later—if they returned. Right now, they were on a mission they needed to focus. She sighed shaking her head at the same time. She walked up to the bickering boys and smacked them both on the head.

"Ah! Sakura chan!" Naruto whined at the emerald-eyed medic nin, but Sasuke was in disbelief. Sakura had hit him? She never hit him. He stared at her before he felt his head ache from the stinging pain.

Naruto, finally over the pain on his head—he was used to it—realized that Sakura had hit Sasuke too. "Sakura chan! You hit teme too?"

She blinked. She hit him…? _Wow I actually hit Sasuke_. "Ah well, he was equally at fault." A light blush of embarrassment tinged her cheeks, "Alright, can we go now?" She gave the two a meek smile. Naruto nodded while Sasuke stayed silent. He was still a little shaken at the fact that Sakura actually hit _him._

Kakashi glanced from Sakura to Sasuke because he too was astonished. Still a little cynical about the whole thing, the gray haired copy nin urged the team to move.

Thus, they—finally—started on their mission and headed to the village hidden in the clouds a.k.a. kumogakure.

**XxxxxxX**

"How long does it take to get to the lightning country from here, yeah?" A blond perched on his clay bird asked as he hovered next to five companions.

"A day with our speed." A green eyed one replied.

"Ah fucking hell, I can't wait to fucking get that two tails beast jinchuuriki!" The grayish maroon haired man gave a low laugh.

Six figures were zooming through the forest. To the naked eye, they were simple black shadows blending in with the trees' own shadows. To those with keener eye vision, they were black blurs, and to the ones with superior eyesight, they were black blurs with specs of white and red. The six wore black cloaks imprinted with red clouds on them.

"ne, Itachi san," A blue skinned one said to a raven haired one, "Is the eight tailed beast that strong? I mean, there'll be four of us against him"

Ruby eyes turned to the blue man, "strong enough to give us unnecessary injuries,"

The blue skinned man gave a shark-like grin, "Heh, alright,"

Six figures blurred through the forest and speeded in the direction of the land of lightning.

**XxxxxxX**

"Hear, hear, how long does it take to get to cloud?" Naruto whined as team seven dashed through the trees with a gentle 'tk' in their steps. They'd been traveling for over half a day already and the day seemed to drag on so much longer.

Calmly reading his pocket book, Kakashi answered Naruto, "Well, if we keep going at this pace, I'd say about a day and half,"

"A day and a half? So we'll camp out here in the woods?"

"I'd say so," It was Yamato's turn to answer Naruto, "and soon too. The sky is getting dark,"

"Sasuke, nothing suspicious?" Kakashi called from the front. Earlier on, he assigned the Uchiha to be the rear guard.

"Nothing," Sasuke replied from behind the line. His Sharingan was activated and he was searching for any sign of chakra whatsoever but he found none.

"Kakashi sensei, I think this is a good place to camp out," Sakura pointed at the barren ground just a few meters ahead the direction they were heading.

Team seven came to a halt with a soft 'tk' on the earth, "Alright, we're going to camp out here." Yamato announced, "Rest up, tomorrow's another journey." Added Kakashi.

One by one, the members of team seven settled on their own corners. Sakura and Naruto were the only ones to enter their sleeping bags. Sasuke and Sai took their corners directly across each other. Sasuke never liked the guy, and he sensed Sai didn't like him either.

Two pairs of cold dark eyes stared at each other from opposite sides of the corners. "Oi! Temes! Stop your staring contest, it's giving me the chills." Slit eyed and cranky, Naruto glared at the two emotionless shinobi.

Sakura patted Naruto on the back, "There, there Naruto, you're not the only one,"

Naruto's head dipped down, "Gah I never thought I could imagine having two temes in the team…" the pinkette smiled, "Just go to sleep Naruto,"

With a grin, Naruto lay on his side and went to—tried to— to sleep. Sakura followed suit and soon fell asleep.

The two dark haired shinobi glared at each other one last time before directing their attention something else. Yamato and Kakashi took turns watching that night.

**XxxxxxX**

Multitudes of thick clouds covered the sun, yet leaving some space for its rays to peek out. The limited sunlight caused the area to turn the area monochromatic; colors molded with the grays to turn unsaturated. But, this was the cloud village, what could one expect? It wasn't called the village hidden in the clouds for no reason.

The cloud village was, despite its dull appearance, lively with people bustling here and there. And through the crowd, six figures stood out from them all. Drifting at a different pace, six figures cloaked in black and red trudged down the damp pavements. Kasas tipped down to hide their faces, the Akatsuki walked down the streets as if it were a casual stroll.

Heads turned their way when they passed, but they ignored them. It made one wonder why they would wear such conspicuous attire if they acted like they were blending in. Was it to show off? Or were they just stupid? Whatever the reason, several patrolling shinobis had their guard on.

They furthered down the village until they reached an empty area of the village.

"Looks like they're alert, yeah?"

"It seems to be so,"

"Can't we just fucking start? I hate it when people fucking stare,"

"Shut up,"

"Heh, after this I'm heading to the bar,"

"hn,"

Six pairs of eyes roamed searching for their targets. "Alright, from here on out we're going to separate," The one with green eyes stated. And as he finished his statement, he and one other disappeared leaving four figures.

"Deidara," ruby eyes fixed on sapphire, "Sasori and you scout in the air,"

"Alright, yeah. Come on Sasori-danna, un." The blond shoved his hand into his pouch and summoned a bird-like clay figure. The one named Sasori jumped up on the bird after a brief glance at the raven haired one.

"So we're walking?" The shark man asked his apparent partner, "hn,"

**XxxxxxX**

"Eugh, everything is so gloomy…" Naruto walked down the path, his hands hung loosely at his side. His eyes were slits, and his mouth was pouted in a way that exhaustion was clearly written on his face. What was supposed to be a day and a half of traveling was narrowed down to three-quarters of a day because a certain kyuubi container needed to use the bathroom…badly.

"It's so dull, and angsty, it kind of reminds me of you, teme" He snickered slightly turning his head to peer at the Uchiha. He received a death glare from the said insulted person. He was so much enjoying Sasuke's insulted face that he didn't see the post in front him.

Wham!

A hundred stars were imprinted in his eyes. He distinctly heard a 'hn, dobe' before Sakura grabbed him by the collar, "Naruto, stop playing around. Really, you'd think after three years you'd mature a bit," She sighed and dropped Naruto, "I feel so sorry for Hinata,"

Naruto mewled at the frustrated Sakura who feigned ignorance. "Ah Sakura chan is so mean!"

"Well, since we're here early, we should ask around."

"Ah, we can't just go inside though," Kakashi, grinning behind his mask, lowered his book to look at his teammates. Standing next to him, Yamato continued, "Well you see, this isn't a commissioned mission. This is a mission assigned by the hokage herself thus there isn't any official papers,"

"So…that means…?" Sakura couldn't believe this. Her shishou could've at least _faked_ the papers, "So we have to disguise ourselves, otherwise Cloud will think Konoha's up to no good?"

"Y-Yes, Sakura, you're correct. We have to have disguises."

Sakura smirked, "Well I already have a disguise," She kneeled on one leg and dug into her pack. Sasuke, being the one who packed with her, raised his brow. Among all the hundreds of things in that thing, what could've been used as a disguise? He was answered shortly when she pulled out a scroll. "I hear Cloud isn't strict with, er, _them_?"

Kakashi leaned close to Sakura, "Them?"

Blushing, Sakura opened her scroll and did a summoning technique. After a brief poof, a dress and a box were atop the scroll.

All five males leaned crowded around the scroll, "And what's your disguise?" Sai inquired obviously curious about the contents of the box.

Only Kakashi and Yamato seemed to be aware of where Sakura was going, "Ah," Said Kakashi, "So you're planning on going as a prostitute?"

Naruto and Sasuke's eyes bulged at the mention of the word 'prostitute'. Sai, unaffected of its meaning, simply kept smiling.

Sakura turned a shade of deep red, "N-not exactly a prostitute, I wasn't trained deeply in that area. I-its just a disguise, is all." She grabbed the box and opened it to reveal a set of make up, "Er, so with this, I can enter the bars freely,"

Naruto leaned in and whispered to Sasuke, "You think she has some kind of fetish—" the blond didn't even bother continuing his sentence—rather he couldn't because he was slammed into a tree by the pinkette.

"SO…with the bars out of the list, the rest of you can talk to the civilians and such. You guys can wear cloaks." A smile spread on her cherry pink lips.

"No."

Heads turned to Sasuke who was glaring at the team medic, "You cannot go there in _that,_" He pointed a finger at her dress. Sakura sighed, "Well, the best information are in bars. How do you expect to gather information? And don't think of using violence."

"She has a point, Sasuke kun," A wide grin from Sai. A twitch from Sasuke.

"Fine," a defeated Sasuke gave in, "But, you have to go with someone."

Her lips parted to retort, but realizing that he had a reasonable suggestion she clamped it shut, "Alright…who's coming then?" Sasuke kept silent, but he made sure to get his message towards Sakura with his stare.

Sakura knew what Sasuke was trying to tell her: 'Who do you think, me of course'. But, Sasuke wasn't subtle, and he would scare the men away. She thought of taking Naruto, but he was too loud. Kakashi sensei and Yamato taichou needed to get information elsewhere. So, the only one left was Sai. Sai was quiet, subtle, and he knew all about keeping his emotions—if he had any—in check. "How about Sai?"

Sasuke gawked at the pinkette. Sai? Hadn't she gotten his message?

Yamato nodded, "I think Sai would be a good choice. He can use his technique to gather some more information, as well. Good thinking Sakura."

"So Sai," The emotionless former root anbu turned to Sakura, "You're coming with me,"

"Alright, ugly." A vein in Sakura's head throbbed and she was tempted to hit him, but, by inhaling then exhaling, she let it go.

"So, let's go—"

"Sakura?"

"What is it Yamato taichou?"

"We should wake up Naruto first"

"Ah right…"

**XxxxxxX**

tk, tk, tk, tk,

Feet raced down the hall of an abandoned building deep within Cloud. Yugito took a turn down the hall and ran into a wet alleyway. Turning her head a bit, she sensed an incoming attack and leaped through water-drenched pavement. "You've got some fucking moves there, dude," heard a deep voice from the shadowed hall.

"Dammit…my attacks are the slowest in the Akatsuki and the least skilled, so I just can't hit anything, seriously."

Yugito panted keeping her eyes fixed on the archway shadowed by the darkness, "So, you two are from the Akatsuki then?"

Two cloaked figures emerged from the darkness, "You're the only one left," the one on the right said.

"But really, you're not all that fucking bad, dude." This came from the one on the left. Yugito glanced from one end of the rope that held the scythe to the figure holding the other end of the rope.

The one with green eyes, turned to his partner, "Hey Hidan, this one is the two-tailed jinchuuriki. If you let your guard down…you're dead."

"No need to tell _me_ that, Kakuzu. I _want_ her to fucking kill me just to get it over, seriously."

Yugito's eyes widened a little. They were conversing like she wasn't even there.

The one named Kakuzu turned towards her, "Let's do this,"

"Hold on there," the scythe wielder, Hidan, lifted his hand to reveal a necklace. "Before I do _that_, I need to be sure and offer my prayers to god,"

Yugito lifted a brow, what was he doing?

"There you go again with your stupid damn prayers."

"Hey, I don't fuckin' like them either, but the dogma of my faith is strict about this stuff," Hidan tugged on the rope to retract his scythe.

Yugito smirked, "you two probably think you cornered me, but that's not the case because I lured you here!" she did a hand sign and in seconds the entryways—and exits—exploded.

"Now that I know you're the Akatsuki, I can't let you go"

"Oh damn" Hidan remarked turning to Kakuzu, "looks like she's got us trapped Kakuzu,"

"No problem, things are actually better this way,"

"I swear on my name, Nii Yugito of Kumogakure, that I will kill you!" Yugito glared at the two figures. Hidan, on the left, sneered at her, "Kill us? Ah fuck, you know when someone fucking yells a battle cry like that, it just pisses me damn off, and when I get pissed off, I get hot headed. And when I get hot headed,"

"That's enough, Shut up Hidan"

"Yeah yeah. But still, when I get fucking hot headed I just get all like 'ah to fucking hell with the objectives, I'll just fucking destroy everything'"

Kakuzu glared at his partner, "I said that's enough. Hidan, our objectives _are_ everything."

Yugito kept her eyes on the talkative one.

Hidan scowled and began rambling, "You know, this damn assignment we've been given doesn't fucking mix well with my beliefs. Carnage is the key precept of Faith of Jashin. The dogma doesn't let me leave someone half dead. And an assignment where I have to break the dogma could never get me in the mood."

He snickered at the blond two-tailed beast jinchuuriki, "Hey, I fucking may not look the part but damn I'm quite religious! So since it's such a pain to _not _to kill you, let's just negotiate a solution to this?"

Yugito's brows furrowed, "What do you mean 'negotiate'?" _What was with this guy? _

Hidan cocked his head to the side slightly and smirked, "I mean, can't you just roll over and let us capture you?"

Yugito smirked in return as she channeled her chakra. This guy was seriously getting on her nerves. She scoffed at him before she felt the two-tailed beast's chakra emerge, "GET REAL!"

"Oops, guess that was a no?"

Kakuzu sighed, "Are you stupid or something?"

Yugito, now releasing her beast's chakra, let out a fire blast. In a few moments, Yugito's body had disappeared entirely and the two-tailed beast emerged. Blue flames enveloped the beast as it gave a lion-like roar.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura, wore her disguise: a red a tube top cut dress with X's on the back to hold it together, though looked like it could be easily pulled off. The dress ended knee-length, and had a slit on the right side of her dress. Although it looked a little skimpy, Sakura had her tights underneath the dress incase of an attack. Her kunai and shuriken were inside the red purse she chose to carry around.

Sai had a cloak above his shinobi outfit. It hid everything except his feet which peeked out from below. "Ugly, you ready?"

Sakura glowered at the pale ex root member. Her hand had made its way and latched onto her waist. "Yes," She said through gritted teeth.

"Now, Sai, make sure Sakura chan doesn't get hurt, okay?" Kakashi's smile was wide behind his mask, though everyone guessed it was because the medic's dress was revealing. She had to put her cloak on just so the teacher could take his eyes away from her with a disappointed look.

"Yes, senpai" Sai nodded to Kakashi then, taking Sakura by the arm, entered through the gates. Naruto and Sasuke glared daggers at Sai hoping that he would watch over the pinkette.

"Purpose?" The cloud guards stared down at the two cloaked figures before him.

Sakura pretended to cower before the shinobi guard while Sai grinned widely, "Ah well, this ug—" Sakura elbowed him on his side, "ah _pretty_ girl is to entertain guests."

The cloud nin raised a brow and asked the girl to take her hood off. Sakura did as he asked, with a little hesitation, and revealed her pink hair and emerald eyes. Amused, the cloud nodded and allowed them to pass. Walking through the streets, Sakura placed her hood on.

Sai chuckled, "He thought you were pretty." Frustrated, Sakura clenched her fists tightly, "Well, at least it shows how he has perfect vision,"

"Are you sure? I thought he was blind because you are ugly." Sakura was about to retort when Sai stopped, "I think this is what you call a bar?" In a moment, Sakura's anger subsided as she turned to look at what Sai was referring to. True enough, it was a bar. "Right, shall we begin then?"

Sai gave a curt nod. They entered the bar and began their mission.

**XxxxxxX**

Kisame gave a sound that was something between a groan and a sigh, "All these stairs…!" They stood at the top of a flight of stairs that they recently climbed up.

Deidara grinned playfully at the shark man, "Heh, what's wrong sharkie? Getting too old, yeah?"

Kisame frowned at the blond, "I don't mean that, blondie. It's just, is it really necessary to have these many stairs?"

"Kisame."

"Deidara."

The said two turned to their respective partners who were both glaring at them. It amazed them how their two stoic partners timed their scolding so perfectly that they synchronized.

Two pairs of eyes turned away from their partners and fixed on the movement before them.

A figure emerged from its house. The figure appeared to be a middle-aged man. He was tall, had a beard, his eyes were covered by a pair of glasses, and his face held some sort of tattoo on his left cheek. He had a rope tied on his waist, and he shouldered four swords on his back. He stood in front of them, his arms folded on his chest and a haughty smile on his face.

Itachi stepped forward and with a stony look on his face said, "Are you the host of the eight-tailed beast?"

His grin widened, "I think you mean Mr. eight tailed beast, and Mr. host."

His arrogance made the blue skinned man give a toothy grin, and the blond to smirk. The other two, however, ignored his high and mighty personality.

"Finally, some action, yeah!" blue eyes gleamed as Deidara's urge to blow the eight tailed beast's host sky high was making him tremble with excitement.

Sasori glanced at Itachi who did the same. Gray met crimson for a second before they came to a silent agreement. Then, with a brief nod to their partners as a signal, all four lunged forward at the eight-tailed beast's host.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura sat on a barstool with a pair of arms wrapped on her waist. The arms belonged to a man who, Sakura was thankful, was drunk. It was a good thing the man because if he wasn't, she could've punched the guy. Her face was calm and composed, although her inner was the exact opposite being that she was trashing and cursing inside her head.

The bar was quite empty that night due to the fact that it was a weekday. This, however, worked to the advantage of Sakura and Sai because they only had a limited number of men to choose from. When they had entered into the bar, Sakura was immediately beckoned by one of the men on the bar. She spent a little time with him before the man thought it was time to 'reel her in'. It was done by wrapping his arms around her waist thinking the woman he now held was interested in him.

Though a little reluctant, she leaned close towards the man who cooed when he noticed the female's face drawing near her, "Ah you" he hiccupped, "wanna kiss me, eh?"

She faked a giggle, "Oh maybe later. Hey, I was wondering, have you heard a group called Akatsuki?" She was direct to the point. She didn't like beating around the bush especially when his hands were lowering themselves every chance they got.

The man hiccupped in his drunken state, "Akatsuki, eh? You interested in 'em?"

"Well, I hear they're strong shinobi," She glanced at the pile of bottles that were near the man. Obviously, he had drank them all. It sort of reminded Sakura of her Kisame nii san.

"che- look babe," he swayed left and right, "Shinobi or not, I'm more than enough for you."

Sakura rolled her eyes and drew back when the stench of his alcoholic breath reached her, "And you know what? Babe, I've got my own kunai, and baby I wanna thrust it into you,"

The cherry blossom winced at his corny pick up line, "Eh, so you know them?"

"Nah," He waved his bottle around taking a sip before placing it down with a heavy thud, "But I saw 'em earlier,"

Sakura's head perked up, "You did, did you? Where were they?"

The man shrugged and wrapped pulled the kunoichi close to himself, "Last I seen them, they was walking down the street. Prob'ly headin' downtown or somethin' like that."

"What did they look like?"

The man raised a lazy eyebrow at her, "Hard not to know 'em, with all the suspicious air around 'em. And that weird outfit of theirs,"

"Outfit?" Sakura chewed on her lip in anticipation. This was good information. The Akatsuki were in the Cloud country and they were wearing clothes that stood out. Now they only needed to scout around town a little more and they'd have the Akatsuki tracked down in no time.

"Yeah, weird guys, wore kasas and black cloaks with li'l red and white things on them. I forget what they're called," He tipped back and forth in his seat as he raised the bottle up and drank the contents of the bottle down, "Er, what were those damn things called again? Oh right, they were…those things…er…" he scratched his head.

Sakura rolled her eyes. _This guy is dumber than Naruto_. "Er, It was the name of this place, ugh, what do you call this village again?"

"Cloud?"

"AH!" He snapped his fingers as if he had just discovered some big secret, "Yeah! Red and white clouds!"

"Clouds?" Sakura placed a thumb on her lip, _Black cloak with red and white clouds? _She imagined the outfit the man had described, _Hm…the outfit he described sounds familiar…_She chewed on her thumb, a habit she received from her shishou.

"That's all you know about them?"

"Yup, tha's about it. Now, babe, let's stop with this Akatsuki talk. If you're interested in Kunais, I got one, and babe—"

Sakura slipped off from his embrace leaving the man to monologue. "Yeah, yeah, your kunai, whatever" She muttered obviously relieved that she was free of the alcoholic stench.

Sai, regrouping with Sakura when she stepped away from the bar, tilted her head towards the pinkette. "So, what did you find, ugly?"

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, "Not much, but it's significant. Let's head back to the others first."

**XxxxxxX**

Lying in a pool of blood, Hidan had a stick thrust through him.

Kakuzu hovered above him. His gaze was impatient and his arms were folded on her chest, "Are you through with your stupid prayers?"

Hidan, despite the piece of wood plunged through his chest, sat up and groaned, "Fucking leave me alone, Kakuzu. The ceremony's not fucking done yet!" He growled.

Kakuzu sighed, "it's been thirty minutes already. Can't you at least shorten those damn prayers?"

"Oy, I don't like them too, but it's part of the dogma, dammit."

A sigh escaped Kakazu's masked lips again, "Whatever, hurry up, will you? We need to meet up with the others and head to the drop of point,"

Hidan sat up. His fingers wrapped around the stick and pulled it. He gave a groan as he felt the sharp edge of the stick slash him on its way out. He was immortal, true, but it still didn't deprive him from feeling pain.

"Finally…" Kakuzu backed up a little to give his partner space.

"Alright, let's fucking go now,"

"Itachi and the others should be down with the eight-tailed beast now,"

Kakuzu walked over a pile of rubble and pulled out the knife that was stabbed through Yugito's hands. She was literally pinned onto a wall, unconscious. Blood dripped down her body and dissolved into the water below. Her limp body fell upon the knife's release. Kakuzu caught her and shouldered her like a rag doll.

**XxxxxxX**

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura and Sai ran up the street to regroup with the others.

"Ah Sakura, did it go well?" Sakura gave a nod towards Kakashi and Yamato, "We found good information,"

Kakashi raised a brow, "Hm? And what may that be?"

"Well, the Akatsuki, it's confirmed, they're here in Cloud,"

Sakura relayed the rest of her information. Apparently, Kakashi and Yamato had also confirmed the whereabouts of the Akatsuki. Also, each witness they saw told the same things: Their faces were hidden from view and they stood out from the crowd because of their outfit.

"Aa, that's not enough though," Yamato commented, "Any thing else?"

Sakura thought for a moment before she remembered something the drunk had told her, "Ah! Yes! They were heading downtown."

"Downtown?" Yamato's eyes furrowed as he tried to figure out why the Akatsuki would head there. The downtown area rarely had anything, but ruined buildings and squatters. In fact, it was practically empty.

"Sakura chan! Kakashi sensei! Yamato Taichou!" Sakura, Kakashi, Yamato and Sai all turned to the blond who was running towards them. Sasuke was right behind Naruto.

"Naruto kun? What's wrong?"

Naruto panted, "It's bad we—"

"We know where the Akatsuki are." Sasuke's stoic eyes were hardened. He gave a stern look at the four before he saw Yamato give a nod at Kakashi.

"Where are they?"

"Above the long flight of stairs," Naruto, in a state of panic, waved his arms around, "Some people spied four people go up. The guards that were assigned were dead when Teme and I got there,"

"The one we asked said they were wearing a black cloak with red clouds and had a kasa on," Sasuke eyebrows furrowed and he gnashed his teeth together. Frustration was seeping through his body. True, he had promised Sakura that he wouldn't let his anger get to him, but he had also told Sakura that he would beat his brother up for all it was worth.

"Well? What're we waiting for?" Naruto urged the others to come. He watched Kakashi and Yamato exchange looks before nodding to each other once again. "Lead the way, Naruto."

The blond gave a brisk nod before darting towards the place the witness pointed out. The other five trailed after him with determined faces on each of their faces save for Sasuke and Sai who were emotionless.

**XxxxxxX**

Five figures were sprawled on the top of a tall set of stairs. Four were couching down while one was lying down on the ground.

"Che, that was a tough one," Kisame shouldered his Samehada and began wrapping it with bandages.

The stratus clouds, because their current position was high above ground, hovered around them. It encircled them and wrapped around their limbs.

"But we won, yeah." Deidara was squeezing his broken shoulder in an attempt to somehow ease the pain. The tie that once held his pony tail had broken sometime in the battle making his golden hair cascade down his shoulders and back.

"Aa," Sasori had come out of his puppet and held a few scars on his wooden body. Dull eyes glanced around the area.

"We shall wait for Hidan and Kakuzu to appear," Itachi said as he straightened himself. His Akatsuki cloak, though a little torn, had managed to stay on him throughout the battle. Apparently, Itachi was the only one who had kept his Akatsuki cloak on as the rest had theirs off. Despite that, he was somehow squinting his eyes for a reason none of them knew. He had only used Amaterasu, did it drain him that much?

"There's no need for that," Four pairs of eyes turned towards the stairway. Hidan and Kakuzu appeared with a third body hanging on Kakuzu's shoulder.

Itachi gave a curt nod to the two incomers.

"Oh? So you guys won too?" Hidan sneered at the four.

"What's that supposed to mean, yeah?" Deidara glared at the Jashin follower. He never liked him from the beginning. "I'm more surprised _you_ won, being that you have the slowest attacks, un"

"What was that bastard?" Hidan gritted his teeth going into a fit.

"Ah well, what can you expect from the weird zombie brothers?" Kisame mocked the two.

"Who're you calling weird? Wouldya fucking look at yourself? You're a fucking _fish_! Not to mention how _your _name clearly depicts what you are: _Bastard_"

Kisame opened his mouth to retort when Itachi extended a hand to stop him, "There is no time for unnecessary squabbling. We must return,"

Kakuzu glanced behind him, "Oi, I feel formidable chakra signatures coming,"

The other five turned to where Kakuzu was staring at, "Oh, 6 signatures, yeah? It'd be a good one on one fight then, yeah?"

Sasori glanced at his partner, "Remember leader sama's orders. We are not to engage in battle with the large countries' shinobi."

Hidan tightened his grip on his scythe, "C'mon, we just won't tell leader! I wanna fucking kill!"

"Hidan," Itachi scolded, "Sasori is right. Deidara," Itachi's monotone voice was stern and so was the look he gave Deidara.

Deidara gave a hesitant nod before shoving his hand into his pouch, "We'll have to squish together, yeah."

"What?" Kisame gawked at the terrorist, "You've gotta be kiddin' me! I'm not squeezing in with the zombie brothers!" Kisame would've continued complaining, but was stopped through the numerous glares he got. He sighed in defeat and shut his mouth.

**XxxxxxX**

Six figures dashed up the long flight of stairs. Sakura prayed to some deity that they would survive. She knew that if they would meet with the Akatsuki then a battle was inevitable. And if they fought…if they…then they would…

She clenched her eyes shut for a moment. She shook her head along with the thoughts that filled it. No, there were no rooms for doubts.

As they rose with each step, the clouds got thicker and thicker. Steps were visible, but the surrounding was not. Somehow, it assured Sakura because she didn't want to look anywhere else. She just wanted to concentrate on getting up the stairs as quickly as possible. She wanted to see the Akatsuki for a lot of reasons. One would be because of Sasuke. Another would be because they needed to get beaten up really badly for everything they'd done.

Sakura thought back to what they came to see earlier when they reached the foot of the staircase.

_Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, Yamato, Kakashi and Sakura drew close to the entrance of the flight of stairs the witness said. They hurried hoping to catch up to their targets. They were all determined, and a little anxious because they were about to face a group of S-class criminals. _

"_Otou san!" Sakura perked up as she heard the screaming of a child. They neared the gates and Sakura heard herself give a gasp. Her eyes widened at the sight before her. _

_Blood. _

_Sakura's stomach tightened and she felt queasy. She was a medic and she dealt with blood, but what lay before her was something…gruesome. Crimson liquid was spilled all over the pavement and drenched the corpses that were piled up. One corpse, however, was pulled from the pile and was laid out. A weeping child was kneeling over it. _

_Sakura averted her eyes. The girl's hands were stained with the blood of her father, and her tears gushed out uncontrollably. Her fingers twisted into a fist. She approached the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl glanced up feeling her touch, and trembled beneath her. Sakura gave her a small sad smile before wrapping her arms around the girl. Whispering words of consolation, she cradled the young girl in her arms. "It's alright, your otou san is in a better place…" Sakura's own heart constricted. The young girl in her arms reminded her of herself years ago. "He will always be with you…" _

_The girl had ceased crying and had fallen asleep in the kunoichi's arms. Sakura smoothed her dark brown hair. "Take care, little one…" _

"_Anata!" Sakura whipped her head around to see a woman with chocolate brown hair. It was so similar to the young girl's that the pinkette deduced that it was her mother. "Erm, is this your daughter?"_

_The woman, trembling, nodded and gathered her daughter in her arms whispering a 'thank you' before weeping for her fallen husband. _

_Sakura stood up and bowed in respect for the fallen shinobi. With watery eyes, she turned away from death and walked over to team 7 who were looking at her with piteous eyes. She gave them a smile of assurance. Naruto beamed her a smile before Yamato urged them to continue. _

Sakura felt her fist tighten. The Akatsuki would pay, but not by death. Death was too simple. They wouldn't even be worth it. They deserved something far worse than death. Sakura wracked her brain for something that was worse than death that she could inflict on them, but she could find none.

But, the Akatsuki had seen the worst hadn't they? If they slaughtered thousands, then they must've have at least seen sadness, mustn't they? But, because they had seen the worst, could it be that they've learned to endure such sadness? Sakura frowned. People who enjoyed inflicting pain on others with no remorse, those were definitely the worst kind of people. And yet, despite her anger for them, she felt another feeling. A feeling whose existence she did not understand. Why that emotion was there she didn't know, but it was there. That feeling was pity. They were, once upon a time, humans weren't they? Sakura began wondering, what on earth made them close their heart to the world? Such poor souls distraught with pain. Was there something she could do? Could she probably save them like she did with Sasuke?

And in spite of her feelings of anger and pity, she was going to run up towards the top of the stairs and battle them. She needed to have the heart to battle them because maybe, and just maybe, she could make the Akatsuki pay and at the same time heal them of their hardened hearts…?

She groaned, what was she thinking? Helping the Akatsuki? Why would she do something like that? Sakura was going insane. She couldn't decide whether to hate or pity the Akatsuki. One moment she was angry for what they did, and the next she was pitying them for the possibility that they were, just like Sasuke, lost.

She gave an aggravated silent scream. She shouldn't be thinking about feelings and lost souls at a time like this—not when they're racing up a long flight of stairs towards kami knows where. No, she needed to focus.

The clouds thickened giving them a narrow visibility. The clouds forbade them to see beyond the step they were one and the step next to it.

_I need to focus because behind those clouds are the Akatsuki!_

The clouds…such a grave mood it gave. It felt like they were marching towards their death. As soon as she thought of the prospect of them willingly running towards their own deaths she felt her feelings of anger and pity being replaced by fear.

Sweat dripped down the side of her face. Her heart pounded against her chest. Quick, heavy breaths were made as she panted. Worry, doubt, anger, guilt, fear, they all mixed inside of Sakura. She took in a deep breath. She wouldn't lie. She was exhausted emotionally, mentally and physically. Their traveling had cost Sakura her energy, and they didn't even have time to properly rest.

_Whatever happens, it does not matter because behind those clouds…_

Her legs were numb from running, but she pushed herself. A single shred of sunlight touched her paling cheeks.

_Behind those clouds…is a ray of sunshine!_

She tripped on a step and for a moment lost her balance. She was threatened to fall when Naruto caught her by the arm. She thanked him and he gave her a nod. The look of determination clearly written all over his face and glittered in his eyes.

_That's right, whatever happens, we'll get through it because every cloud has a silver lining. Behind those clouds is glittering hope!_

They drew closer and closer to the peak of the stairs. They were almost there. Her feelings of fear, anger and pity subsided and were replaced yet again with something new. Excitement?

_Behind those clouds…is the chance to solve everything!_

She felt exhaustion take over. She needed to go on, but her body was failing her.

"Sakura chan!" Her eyes widened upon hearing her name. "Naruto kun…" She couldn't see him, but she could hear him. The clouds fogged up her vision, but not her hearing. "Naruto kun!"

_Behind those clouds…are Naruto and the others waiting for me!_

"Don't give up, Sakura chan!"

She gave a small smile. _That's right, Naruto never gave up. I won't either._ She gathered the last of her energy and boosted her speed. "I'm coming! Don't worry!"

_Behind those clouds…_

Sakura panted, but she ignored the aching in her chest. Just a bit more and they would be facing the Akatsuki. Excitement pounded through her veins. It didn't matter if she couldn't see anything, her eagerness to get to the top pushed her.

_Behind those clouds…_

Soon, the single shred of ray of sunlight became several shreds of ray of sunlight. She felt the heat touch her cheeks. They were close. She could feel the sun drawing nearer towards them.

_Behind those clouds…_

"Sakura chan!" She smiled, "Naruto kun!" She saw a faint figure of a hand. She grabbed onto it and it pulled her up to reveal a grinning blond, "We're close, Sakura chan!" She gave a nod and hand in hand they ran up the stairs.

Team seven ran close to one another. The rays of lights were growing in amounts until it soon became a booming amount of sunlight.

_Behind those clouds…_

They shielded their eyes from the sudden amount of sunlight. Then, one by one, they opened their eyes. First everything there was white and then their eyes widened with the scene that was laid before them.

_Behind those clouds…_

"No way…It can't be…"

…_are more clouds._

**XxxxxxX**

**-Gyah you can kill me now for the cliffy . xD Gahaha, I just wanna say that the Hidan/Kakuzu vs Yugito thing was based on the manga battle (and the lines were tweaked). Also, the eight-tailed beast script was also based on the manga teehee.**

**-On the next chapter: Oh my! What did team seven see that shocked them! =O Was it the Akatsuki? Will Sakura be reunited with her nii sans? =o Tune in next time for: Tabula Rasa! ^w^ 3 The next chapter will be a critical one *hint hint* **

**-Madam Obscurum, "****Be still, sad heart, and cease repining; ****Behind**** the ****clouds**** the sun is shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.****" (Henry Waddlesworth)**


	16. Chapter 13: Trompe L'oeil

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. So far, the only thing I own is the plot and Akane.**

**-Wow I got a booming amount of reviews on my last chapter O_O! Thank you guys! I'm sorry I upset some of you . Yes, yes I shall stop teasing. xD I just want you all to know that I long planned to do that previous chapter, and this one. Haha So yeah kill me xD I'm still glad that you guys anticipate the Itasaku-ness and the reunion. Yeah my story is so slow-paced. xD I just thought if I rushed the reunion it'd go too fast. xD (Hides) Love you all! For the encouraging reviews, thank you very much! =3**

**-Brace yourselves, in terms of words, this isn't the longest (Letters from an Angel is the longest so far), but in terms of pages, this is the longest. Without double space, it's a whopping 20 pages. == So, with out further ado: here's Chapter 13 =D**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 13**

**~Trompe L'oeil~**

_They shielded their eyes from the sudden amount of sunlight. Then, one by one, they opened their eyes. First everything there was white and then their eyes widened with the scene that was lain before them. _

Behind those clouds…

"_No way…It can't be…"_

…are more clouds.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura felt her knees go weak, and after a few moments, she slumped down to the ground. "We're too late…"

The scene before them told of a story, and that story was of a battle that took place just moments ago.

Dust flew by, being blown by the wind. The clouds were thickest at the top and the breeze that brought the dust along was cold. Sakura shivered and rubbed her arms upon instinct to keep herself warm.

Her head hung low, she heard two growls. The louder one, she guessed, was from Naruto, and the other was Sasuke's. Naruto slammed the ground cursing indefinitely. Sasuke chose to grumble to himself.

Kakashi sighed and placed a hand on Sasuke and Naruto's shoulders. "What's done is done, let's go back to Konoha," Fists curled tightly as the two boys turned in defeat and headed down the steps.

Sai extended a hand towards Sakura who willingly took it. She stood and glanced back and forth between the blond and the raven haired one. They were obviously angry. But, she couldn't blame them. She'd have to admit that even she was frustrated at the turn of events. They were so close, so ready to face the infamous group of S-class criminals, but they instead found nothing. Still, they should've known that sometimes things don't go how they want it to be.

She let out an inaudible sigh and nodded to Sai as thanks for helping her up. She picked up her pace to catch up with the two disgruntled boys. Really, they were taking the situation a little bit too childish. She placed a hand on their shoulder and gave them a meek smile, "Hey, there's always next time,"

Naruto and Sasuke turned to her with glares, "WHAT NEXT TIME? WE WERE SO CLOSE!" Naruto gritted his teeth and briskly walked away.

Sasuke slapped her hand away from her shoulder earning a gasp from the pinkette, "We were just a step away from that bastard and we let him get away! An opportunity like that doesn't come around!" His sharingan blazing, he gnashed his teeth.

"But guys—"

"Sakura, stop it, you're so annoying." A death glare was sent towards Sakura by the raven-haired boy.

Sakura stood there gapping at the two boys. She was stunned. She felt her temper explode. Her hands tightened into fists as she too clenched her jaw. A vein throbbed hard in her head and she suddenly had the urge to slam the ground beneath her, but she couldn't do that. Not when they were still in Cloud. She panted trying her best to remain calm but the anger seething through her was too much.

Sai, who had watched the whole scene before him, took out one of his books from his pouch. It was labeled, 'Helping your Friends'. He turned it to the page where the situation was 'when your friend is angry'. Scanning the page, he took in all the necessary information and shut the book.

"Ugly?"

Sakura, hearing her 'name', felt her anger subside as she directed her attention somewhere else, "Yes Sai?" She turned and felt herself gawk at the sight that stood before her. Sai, emotionless ex root member who only knew how to give fake smiles bastard, was giving her the oddest look she had ever seen. His eyes were soft, his gaze understanding, and his lips were curled into a gentle smile. "S-sai kun?"

"Ug—no, Sakura chan?" Sakura felt chills run down her spine. Her name rolled of his tongue in a deep sexy tone that was all too _un_familiar. "Y-yes?"

He drew close his eyes locked with hers. Sai extended a hand and cupped the side of her face. And, for a moment, Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. His thumb caressed her cheek in a soft and tender way that it made the kunoichi blush.

Kakashi and Yamato gawked at the sight before them. What had gotten into Sai?

For a moment, Sai's tender gaze lingered. Sakura's leaf green eyes locked into his dark ones and she felt herself freeze. What the hell was happening?

"Sakura chan…? You are angry?"

Sakura parted her lips to say something, but felt her words stuck in a lump that had formed in her throat. Her lack of her response made Sai give a brief pout before one hand traveled towards her waist, and his hand previously on her cheek traveled to her nape. "Sai?" She gasped as she felt herself being pulled into his chest.

Sai grinned, "Are you calmer now?"

"oya, how interesting…" Kakashi noted nodding his head with his chin in between his index finger and thumb.

Naruto and Sasuke, noticing something felt odd behind them, turned and felt their jaws dropped. Sai was holding Sakura in his arms and giving her a caring, _loving_ look.

Sakura was in an awkward position. "Um, Sai, th-thank you…I'm feeling better now so—"

"OY! SAI! WHAT'RE YOU DOING TO SAKURA CHAN! LET HER GO!" Naruto was about to lunge at Sai when he felt a blur pass him. Naruto had intended to attack Sai, but was beaten to it by the resident Uchiha.

Sai felt himself fly then crash on the ground. He picked himself up and locked eyes with the crimson of Sasuke.

Sakura turned to Sasuke, "Sasuke! What're you doing?"

Sasuke tilted his head slightly so the pinkette would see his Sharingan, "Oh so you were enjoying it?" He said through gritted teeth.

Sakura blushed a faint tint of pink, "N-no he was just cheering me up!"

Sai stood and walked over to Sasuke. He gave him an intense but blank look before reaching for something in his pouch. Sasuke, thinking it was a kunai, unsheathed his katana. As soon as Sai pulled an object out he pointed his katana at Sai.

"Sasuke kun! Stop it!" She was about to scold the Uchiha when Sai called her attention.

Sai gave Sakura a fake smile, "Ugly, are you still mad?"

"Eh? N-no…why…?"

Sai motioned towards the book. Sakura felt like she would go crazy. She slapped a hand on her forehead, "Sasuke, put your katana down. Sai means no harm…"

Sasuke furrowed his brows, "What?"

Sakura sighed and grabbed the book from Sai's hands and shoved it onto Sasuke's face. "Yes you are emotionless, Sasuke kun. But, apparently, Sai beats you in that department." With sarcastic half lidded eyes she glared at him with an accusing finger, "Because Sai doesn't even know the meaning of emotions…"

Sasuke felt his eye jerk in a twitch, "…doesn't know…?"

"Yes, but Sai's trying his best to make friends," _Unlike a certain person who had friends and threw them away, _"So tries to learn from books…" She glanced at Sai giving him a brief and understanding smile before glaring back at the Uchiha whose Sharingan had now deactivated, "So his act earlier was a misunderstanding."

She giggled and placed a hand on Sai's shoulder, "Sai kun, please read the information properly." Sai blinked, obviously unaware of what she meant. Sakura raised a brow and gave him a smirk, "Sai kun, what you did just now is what you do when your _lover_ is mad. It's different with a friend,"

Sai gave an inaudible 'oh' before apologizing. Naruto, who found himself speechless from the entire thing, began feeling something bubble inside of him. In moments, he was rolling on the ground laughing. "Haha! Sai…he!...And then teme was serious! Hahaha"

With a slight tinge of pink on Sasuke's cheeks he glared at the Naruto, but it only made Naruto laugh even harder.

Kakashi, a little disappointed with how things turned out sighed, "Alright, now that that's over, shall we head back now?"

"un!"

When Yamato, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke moved on ahead, Sakura turned to Sai with a wide smile, "Ne, Sai kun, thanks. Because of what you did Naruto and Sasuke are feeling better."

"No problem, ugly." She felt herself cringe. Anger began seething through her pores, a dark aura gathering into her fists.

Sai, noticing her anger, gave her a fraud smile, "Shall I try to cheer you up again?"

Anger was quickly replaced with fear and Sakura shook her head with a 'no thank you'.

**XxxxxxX**

"Tsunade sama!" Shizune stood next to the hokage holding a couple of scrolls in her hands, "Here are the post mission reports,"

"Aa, just put them there. I'll see to them later,"

"But—"

"Shizune,"

Shizune sighed in defeat and gave a rapid 'yes' before exiting the hokage's office.

Tsunade sat on her desk in her usual brooding position. Her face was scrunched up due to the mixture of emotions and problems swirling inside of her. A soft sigh escaped her lips and a line formed on her forehead from the furrowing of her brows. Her fingers slowly pulled the scrolls apart and began reading the contents. She sat there reading then re-reading each line of text. With each line, the creases on her face deepened and increased until, with a slam, she bolted up her desk. She quickly grabbed a scroll and began her frenzied writing. "SHIZUNE!"

The door bolted open and a frantic Shizune entered, "Tsunade sama what is it?"

"Send this letter out as soon as possible! Make sure that the Kazekage receives it!"

"U-uh y-yes!" With a quick salute, Shizune dashed out of her office leaving a panic-stricken hokage. Tsunade stared out and took in the whole view of Konoha. "If what I think is going to happen, _is _going to happen…then my decisions should be what's best…for now."

**XxxxxxX**

"Ah it's a nice day!" Sakura stretched with a hum of satisfactory pleasure. She slipped off of her bed and headed towards the bathroom for her daily routines. Clad in her usual kunoichi attire, she began primping herself up. Dainty fingers wrapped around the brush handle, she dragged it up and down continuously with a smile. However, that smile shrunk to a smaller version of it, "I wonder…" Her smile faded to nothing and her eye brows furrowed, "What would the Akatsuki want with the tailed beasts…"

A knock on the door dismissed Sakura's thoughts. She whipped her head around, "Yes?"

"Saku chan! Don't you have a meeting with the Hokage?"

She bolted up, briskly dropping her brush and darting out. With a fast extend of her hand, the door opened and an all freshened up red head aunt was revealed, "Oya, Sakura, you forgot?"

Sakura chuckled, "Ah…sort of…"

Her aunt, with a smile, shook her head, "My, my, you really are growing old!"

"Oba san!" She pouted childishly at the giggling aunt.

"Ah Saku chan!" Her aunt clapped her hands together at the instance of remembering something. A wide cat-like grin appeared on her face, "You know…Sasuke kun was hanging around your room earlier,"

"EH?"

"Oh…You seem happy" Akane's eyes were in slits, her Cheshire grin taunting, "Don't tell me you still like Sasuke kun?" Her expression changed. A glint glimmered in her eyes, and a smirk was pasted on her face, "Do you?"

"W-well, no Akane oba san, he's just a friend now,"

"Hm? Is that so?" A corner of her lips tugged into a wider smirk, "Well then that _friend_ has been waiting outside for you."

"What? Why didn't you say so?" The pinkette turned and quickly raced off towards the stairs. Her aunt, one eyebrow lowered and the other raised, gave a crooked smile, "That Saku chan…" She stifled a giggle with a hand on her lips before she sighed, "I kind of feel sorry for Sasuke kun…oh well…" She gave a playful cackle, "he shall meet his demise…" And with that, she skipped off towards her room as if a flower fairy in her garden.

**XxxxxxX**

"Sasuke kun!"

The said person was leaning on a tree and was staring into an empty space until he heard his name, "Hn?"

A blur of incoming pink made him smirk, "You're late."

Panting, she chuckled, "Ah sorry, I was brushing my hair…"

Whipping around, Sasuke gave a grunt, "You're still so annoying…" His comment made Sakura inwardly twitch. She chose to allow her anger subside instead of using her fists…until a certain blond came lunging loudly, "SAKURA CHAN!"

Poor Naruto fell victim and became Sakura's outlet of anger because as soon as he came within range, Sakura grabbed him and began pounding the boy. She used the reason 'being loud in the morning' as her reason to 'punish' the kyuubi container. After what seemed like years of torment, the now calmed Sakura dropped the blond and inhaled. She exhaled and followed it with a smile that seemed to make flowers bloom and birds to sing.

Sasuke, who was a little taken back by the display of anger, was dearly grateful he had not been the blond.

"Ne, Sakura chan, that hurt,"

"Well, if you weren't so noisy in the morning maybe you wouldn't need to be hit," Her hands on her waist and her eyes narrowed at something non-existant.

Naruto whimpered and trailed after Sakura like a beat up puppy—which he sort of was.

"Ah, it's baa baa chan's fault. Making us go to her office early in the morning!"

"Shikamaru said, yesterday, that it was an important meeting." Sakura walked ahead of the group. Her hands swung loosely as if years of pent up anger had been released.

"Forehead!" And soon, another batch of anger was going to come storming in for a certain _other_ blond came dashing into her, "Heading to the Hokage?"

"Yes…Ino pig," Those flowers that had bloomed, and the birds that sung had withered and died somewhere along the lines of Ino's retort because after the name-calling, the insults followed, that is, until a certain lazy-ass guy decided to talk, "Women, how troublesome,"

The two stopped bickering and turned to the newly arrived voice, "Ah Shikamaru!" Ino chirped happily.

"Lazy ass!" Naruto glomped at the sighing Nara clan member, "Oy Naruto, get off!"

Naruto's grip loosened as a certain group of people caught his attention, "Ah! Gaara!"

"That's Kazekage sama for you," A girl with dirty blond hair tied into pigtails stepped aside.

"Ah Temari chan!" Sakura chirped running towards the Suna kunoichi, "What're you guys doing here?"

"Your Hokage asked for us," Kankuro, with a smile, said.

"Shishou did…?"

"Is it safe for the Kazekage to be walking around in the open?" A monotone dull voice said from behind the group. They all turned and several jaws dropped.

"So the rumors were true, forehead? Sasuke kun's really back?" Ino blinked, lifting a part of her bang so she could see him clearly. Shikamaru, already aware of his return, snorted. "Ah well, just so you know Sasuke, I am no longer interested in you because—Hey! You're not listening!"

True enough, the said person was paying no attention to the blonde. Instead, he was having a glaring match with the kazekage.

"So, you're kazekage now, Gaara?" Dark abyss-like orbs stared into his pale green ones. "I see, you've returned…Uchiha."

Sakura cringed beneath the deadly aura the two gave off, "Well, shouldn't we be going now?" She couldn't take such immense atmospheres and grabbed Sasuke's wrist tugging it slightly, "C'mon Sasuke kun…" In response, the Uchiha grunted and trailed after the pinkette.

"You too Gaara," Temari motioned for her little brother to walk towards the hokage palace.

"You wouldn't want to look bad now, do you?" Gaara's elder brother, Kankuro, asked him. Like Sasuke, the Kazekage gave a grunt in response then trailed after his two siblings.

**XxxxxxX**

Several figures crowded around the Hokage's desk, and more were positioned outside although the key people were inside the room. "So," A booming voice from the hokage called the attention of everyone in the room, "First of all, Kazekage sama I'm glad you could make it."

Gaara nodded politely in response to the fellow kage.

"Right, let's get down to business," Her fingers laced themselves together in an authoritative manner, "I've asked the Kazekage here because the matter at hand has something to do with our alliance,"

Several shinobi perked, "I brought you here, Kazekage sama, to ask you to stay in Konoha for the mean time,"

Gaara furrowed his eyebrows at the Hokage, "What do you mean?"

"We've received reports, and I'm sure you have too, about the Akatsuki,"

"You mean to say because they've killed the hosts of the tailed beasts from the two-tails all the way to the eight-tailed beast?" the hokage nodded in response to the Kazekage.

"It is not safe—"

"I can take care of my self, Hokage sama." Dark green eyes locked with hazel ones before the Hokage released hers, "I know that, but the level of the Akatsuki may very well rival an entire village's power."

Gaara grunted. His pride wouldn't let him cooperate with the Hokage despite knowing that what she was suggesting was an intelligent decision.

"Kazekage sama, I understand that leaving your village isn't an option. That is why we've thought of some plans."

Several shinobi, including Gaara himself, raised their brows in question. The Hokage, seeing the rise in interests among the people, smirked. "If the Akatsuki are going to come, we'll be ready to battle them. Right now, our priorities are the hosts and civilian's safeties."

Naruto's fingers tightened to a fist. He was one of the hosts too, wasn't he? Would he be subjected to whatever the hokage was going to propose? Well of course he would. He _was_ the host of the nine-tailed beast. Still, if it meant hiding in some foxhole with the civilians, he would definitely refuse.

"What do you propose, Hokage sama?"

"Evacuate Suna and Konoha."

The crowd in the room began whispering to one another and muttering their opinions.

"It will take time, so the sooner the better. As we speak, the preparations for an underground shelter are being created." The hokage took quick glances of the crowd before she turned to the Suna kage. "Well, Kazekage sama, what do you think? It's better to be united then separated."

Temari glanced at her brother who seemed to be in deep thought, "Gaara?" the said person snapped out from his deep rumination then turned to his elder sister, "Hn?"

"I think we should consider the hokage's offer." Kankuro whipped around and stared at his sister, "Huh?"

"What makes you say that?" Deep green eyes stared intently at Temari whose lips parted to speak, "If we do, there would be less casualties. Also, if they attack, who is to say that they won't succeed? You may be the best Shinobi in our village but still…you can't take them _all_ on your own."

Several sand shinobi nodded in agreement to Temari.

"The Akatsuki," Eyes quickly turned to Shizune, "they are well known for being able to massacre villages in a few hours…some records even show the destruction of villages in just a few minutes…" The information relayed made faces scrunch, pale and graven.

"As Shizune san says," this time it was the other assistant of the Hokage that spoke: her apprentice with pink hair, "Separated, our chances of survival are low. Worse comes to worst, it is the entire organization that will come after the tailed beasts. But banded together, our power is greater. Isn't it time to use our alliance?"

"Sakura chan's right!" The blond kyuubi container stepped forward.

"But, if we band together, then the Akatsuki might just hit two birds with one stone," A random shinobi said. Neji, who had been debating the same reason in his head stepped forward, "Another worst case scenario is when they get their hands on both tailed beasts at the same time…"

Tsunade nodded, "That is something to think about. However, if our power exceeds theirs, then possibility to defend our villages and protect the tailed beasts would be higher."

Neji's eyebrows furrowed, "If? And if it isn't?"

The hokage smirked, "Don't tell me, Hyuuga, you're scared that the Akatsuki are stronger than Suna and Konoha put together?"

This retort triggered a series of mutters and whispers, "Well? Do any of you think that combined, the Akatsuki are still stronger?"

After what seemed hours of whispered debates, several pairs of eyes turned to the Hokage with determined glints in them, "So, do we all agree on this?"

"Hn," The Uchiha survivor caught the attention of the crowd with his grunt, "The Akatsuki…they're nothing." A small smirk found its way on his face.

"Oi Teme! You're grabbing all the attention!" Loud Naruto, though unintentionally, broke the heavy atmosphere in the room.

"Alright, if there are no more questions, then this meeting is through." Tsunade gave a polite nod towards the Kazekage who gave a curt one in return.

**XxxxxxX**

"Leader sama," It was the same scene: ten figures all perched on the fingers of a statue, with one standing a little higher than the others.

"We've come here today because I've heard some interesting information…" Pairs of eyes turned towards their leader. "As expected, Konoha and Suna are now fully aware of our presence, and are predicting that either of the two will be targeted next." A brief pause filled the air, "Although there is some interesting development."

Pain's ringed eyes traveled from one shinobi to the other, "Konoha and Suna have banded together and the Kazekage or the one-tailed host is in Konoha,"

"Ha! That's fucking great! We can get those damn brats at the same time!" Hidan sneered at the information relayed.

"It's not what you think, Hidan," cold gray ringed eyes stared into Hidan's own pair, "we are not sure of how strong they are, now that they have united."

"Eh? But we can destroy villages easily, yeah!"

"I'm sure they're aware of that. But, just to be sure, I'm sending the six of you to scout the area," He was reffering to the usual teams that were sent to do missions: Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara, Sasori, Kisame and Itachi.

"Why don't you send flytrap?" Kisame said with a toothy grin.

"Zetsu has other matters to attend to."

"Man, this is getting a whole fuck lot of annoying…"

"Hidan." Kakuzu called the attention of his partner who snorted in response.

Leader ignored Hidan and Kakuzu, and continued, "I want you six to test the waters of this new alliance. However, I want no casualties. If the shinobi that will appear will give you _unnecessary wounds," _he glanced at Itachi to say: 'I'm sure you know when a battle is unnecessary', "retreat quickly towards the main base."

Silence filled the cavern. Only the quick drips from the stalactites echoed throughout the cave. "The six of you will meet in the border of the fire country before heading to Konoha, do you all understand?"

"Yes." They all responded.

"Good. Then we are dismissed,"

And with the fading of their images, they disappeared pair by pair.

**XxxxxxX**

_ Fwoosh_

The wind blew fallen leaves throughout Konoha. It occupied the deserted streets and rolled in and out empty houses. The entire Konohagakure was occupied save for the patrolling shinobi.

"At least it's not as hot, ne?" A suna shinobi said to a fellow suna shinobi as they walked through the streets. Upon turning a corner, they noticed a big group of rather _colorful_ group of shinobi. They all seemed young, in their teens perhaps. "Oya, what a big group…"

"Now you all understand the orders?" Temari glanced from one end of the group to the other. "I've already got Gaara to position the sand."

"And my shishou has already assigned the leaf," A girl with pink hair across from Temari spoke.

"So, like the other shinobi, we have our own scouting positions. But our positions are those that involve the outer regions of Konoha." Temari unraveled a scroll and showed the group its contents. "These are your positions."

Everyone glanced up and down the scroll looking for their name and their positions. Sakura, taking note of the various assignments, nodded to the others, "You all know the positions you have?"

"I can't accept this!" A blond jumped back from the group of people and raved his arms around. "How come I'm the only one without an assignment?"

"Dobe." A raven-haired boy death glared him from the side for being noisy.

The earlier pinkette hit him on the head with her fist, "Be quiet! It's because the hokage can't afford you being captured."

"Wha! But Sakura chan! I can't just sit around and do nothing!"

"We know that!" A smile slowly appeared on her face, "That's why your assignment is to protect Gaara."

"Eh?" Naruto, calmed down, lowered his arms and gave her a questioning look, "Like a body guard?"

Sakura nodded with a smile on her face, "M-hm, it's a very important role."

Naruto squinted his eyes until they turned into slits and turned away. He gave a snort, jamming his hands in his pockets while turning away from the group, "…Fine…" He said in small voice, "I'll take the job…" And with that, he walked off in the direction of the Konoha palace.

Seeing the blond's backside shrink to nothing, the remainder of the group giggled and laughed at Naruto's reactions. "See, that's the only way to get him to do that!" Temari gave a haughty laugh.

As their laughter subsided, Sai pulled out his scroll and brush, "Well, I'll be taking flight and doing my job then…"

"Eh? Alright then, take care."

Sai did a hand sign, muttered his technique's name, then his drawing came to life. He hopped on his ink bird and took off into the skies.

"What's up with that guy?" kankuro had his head tilted up from following the emotionless artist.

Temari grabbed Kankuro by the neck and started dragging him, "Doesn't matter. C'mon! We have a job to do! See you lazy ass!"

Shikamaru perked up and just like his nickname, he waved a lazy hand to bid bye as well. He smirked seeing the blond grapple her brother away. He shook his head and muttered a brief 'troublesome' before he felt sneers behind him. He turned and spied the rest of Konoha 12—Ino to be exact—grinning widely at him. "Friendly, aren't we?"

He scoffed at the ponytailed blond, "Troublesome." and walked off towards his assigned area with Chouji and Ino trailing after him.

"Alright! We're heading too, Sakura san!" Lee gave the medic nin a nice guy pose before dashing off somewhere. Neji and ten ten gave curt nods before following after Lee.

"A-Ah…W-we're g-going t-too…S-Sakura ch-chan…" A bashful Hinata had her index fingers pressed against each other. Her head tilted downwards to cover her eyes and her blush.

Sakura grinned and patted Hinata on the head. The Hyuuga girl, ever since she found out liked Naruto, had become one of her closest friends along with Ino and Tenten. "Take care now, Hinata chan!"

Hinata nodded then disappeared into smoke along with her teammates Shino, Kiba and Akamaru.

Sasuke, being the only one left aside from Sakura, grunted, "We should go to." The kunoichi nodded, "Un!" then walked off with the Uchiha towards their designated area: the forest between Konoha's gates and the forest of wind.

**XxxxxxX**

"Gah, what is leader sama thinking, yeah? Sending us on a _scouting_ mission, un?"

"Deidara, just stop complaining," Scorpion tail erect and swaying back and forth, Sasori had been listening to his partner's complaints since the time they left. Even when they had met up with their four other 'teammates', he still persisted on complaining. They were half way through the fire country and were nearing Konohagakure. The blond, unfortunately, had yet to stop yelling out more complains.

"How can I stop complaining, yeah? For the past few missions, I haven't been able to blow up stuff!" His arms were folded across his chest as he gave an inflated cheek pout.

"Ha, for once, I fucking agree with you!" Deidara, surprised, turned to Hidan who was sneering at him. "What do you mean, yeah?"

"For the past few missions I haven't _killed_ anyone," the blond blinked at the jashin follower, "Seriously, yeah? That's a conspiracy!"

"Heh, seems you two finally agree on one thing!" A blue man gave a sharky grin at the two fellow Akatsuki. Kisame turned to his partner still with his goofy grin on, "So, we're returning to Konoha, how does it feel Itachi san?"

Crimson eyes turned to Kisame. Itachi gave a menacing death glare, "Nostalgic…"

"Hmph, Leader did give us orders to trash the place, yeah?"

"Our orders are to secure the nine-tailed beast and the one-tailed beast. However, we must avoid totally destroying Konoha." Kakuzu shouldered a pouch filled with coins. He and Hidan were the last to arrive in the meeting point. The rest deduced, due to the pouch of money, that it was because Kakuzu went on a side-trip for a bounty.

"Why?" Kisame rubbed his chin. Why would Leader want Konoha to remain standing?

"He wants to destroy Konoha in one go using the nine tailed beasts,"

"He hates the place that much, huh?" Kisame, amused, chuckled.

"Whatever, as long as I can fucking kill! That's fine with me." He pointed his thumb at his chest and let out a dark chuckle. "Besides…Konoha fucking deserves it. Don't we have a score to settle with them?"

As soon as Hidan mentioned a score that they had to settle, their faces went grave save for Itachi and Sasori who managed to remain their emotionless facades. All members were suddenly reminded of the night a certain pink haired ten year old disappeared. They walked in silence for sometime before Deidara managed to utter out words, "….yeah…."

**XxxxxxX**

Sai was perched on his bird-like creature made of ink. He soared through the skies keeping a watchful eye on the outskirts of Konoha. He unconsciously created certain points wherein he would linger in that point somewhere in the sky for a few minutes to survey the area. Currently, he was hovering over a point that overlooked beyond the Konoha forests. He glanced left and right for anything suspicious.

A quick blur from far corner of his eye caught his attention. Several figures were dashing through the forests of the fire country. He lowered down to try and catch a better view of what exactly were those blurred dots since he was high above the sky. As he neared, his keen eyes spied a mixture of white and red mingled with the blackness. Quickly, he contacted the entire patrolling group. "Everyone, the Konoha forest, there is something there."

"What? Are you sure it's them?" A flustered Ino was quick to reply on the radio.

"Yes. I am certain." Sai, who had strong belief in his own eyes, was absolute certain that the figures were the Akatsuki.

"So they've finally made their move?" Kiba was smirking on the other side of the radio, as the faint bark of Akamaru in the background could be heard.

"Konoha forest? We're the closest there!" Sakura felt her heart race at the mention of the Akatsuki being near where Sasuke and she were. "How many?"

"I am not certain. However, I would estimate about four to seven." Sai had his eyesight locked on the blurs.

"Are you sure those are the only blurs? What if that's a decoy?" Shikamaru interjected into the radio conversations, "We can't send everyone." True, if indeed those blurs were decoys, then sending a full force would be too risky.

"Let's send other Shinobi in our place then,"

"The risk is still high, one of each team would have to go to where Sakura and Uchiha are, two will be left behind in case. If there is a need for backup, we'll just contact over radio," Shikamaru gritted his teeth. If the blurs Sai had said were really the Akatsuki weren't decoys then they would need as much reinforcements as possible. If there were decoys, then the risk of a full force would leave the other areas unguarded. It was a gamble…but all of them were willing to take it. His fists tightened as he went over his decisions, "From our team, I'll be going. Lee, Kiba, you two will head towards the forest, Neji,"

Neji was in shock. He expected to have been called by Shikamaru because if it was a fight, he was better than Lee. It wasn't that he looked down on him, it was just that he could have been of better use. Shikamaru realized his shock, "Neji, you're staying there because your byakugan is needed to scout the area…" His voice was calm and yet commanding. Neji was a year older, but Shikamaru still had been in a higher position for a longer time than him. Neji chose to remain silent as his response.

"Alright, those picked, go!" Shikamaru ended his transmission and dashed off to where Sasuke and Sakura were.

Meanwhile, Sasuke gripped Sakura's trembling wrist to comfort her. Sakura was strong, but the Akatsuki meant trouble. He wouldn't be surprised if Sakura was scared to death. Unfortunately, a quick death was the least of their worries. Sasuke, being left to live despite his horrible past, knew far worse punishments than death. "Sakura…calm down."

Sakura felt her heart hammering in her chest. The Akatsuki were really coming and she and Sasuke would be the first to meet them. She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. She was trying her best to keep from falling on her knees. Slumping down to her knees in fear was such a shameful deed. Finally calming herself, she tightened her hands into fists in determination. She wasn't weak—she would not be weak. Her emerald green eyes turned to meet Sasuke's dark ones. With a nod, she confirmed her status as 'I'm fine'.

The Uchiha, giving a crooked smile, released her wrist, "Right, let's go then…"

"Un!"

**XxxxxxX**

"Itachi san, don't you think those Konoha nin would've spotted us by now?"

"Hn, the only way to spot us is through the air. And even then you'd need superior eyesight. Especially at the speed we are going. However, we must not be overconfident."

"I get 'ya. I mean a single shinobi beat the zombie brothers."

"There were fucking four not one!" Hidan retorted at Kisame's degrading comment.

"Oh yeah so you say," Kisame flashed a wide grin.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you, bastard!"

"Ha, _you_ kill _me?_ You have the slowest attacks in the group!"

"You fucking testing me?"

"Will you both shut up!" Kakuzu was irritated beyond usual for a lot of reasons. One, he received a lower pay than he was supposed to for the bounty. Two, Hidan had been taking turns between dissing and arguing with Kisame and Deidara. Three, he was heading towards the village where that blond asshole with lightning techniques came from. He had a score to settle with Konoha, indeed. He'd look for that blond and he'd kill him for the humiliation he received. Moreover, he'd kill him for killing their cherry blossom.

It was odd for a now 91-year old to have special feelings for a small girl. But, those feelings were far from the 'special' other people would think. Sakura was—had been—like the daughter he never thought of having. Somehow, he received a fatherly attachment to the girl, hence his dire need for revenge.

Both Kisame and Hidan shut their mouths. It wasn't odd for Kakuzu to curse nor was it unusual for him to get mad. But, for some reason, his recent outburst was more threatening than usual.

Silence reigned as all six Akatsuki members landed on the barren earth. They slowed their pace despite the questioning looks in their faces. Why had Itachi and Sasori led them to slow down? "Itachi san…?"

"We're found," He said as if reading Kisame's mind. He, as they traveled towards Konoha, sensed a faint chakra signature. He glanced around with his sharingan but found nothing. To think it was nothing could cost them. "We shall walk from here."

"Eh?"

"Itachi, you sensed it too?" Sasori had his tail firmly raised as if on guard.

"Hn…"

Just as Itachi ordered, they began traveling in a slower but more guarded pace.

"Now it'll fucking take longer to get there, dammit!" Hidan hmph'ed before securing his scythe on his shoulder. For a minute there, he thought that they were going to go into a fight. He guessed wrong.

**XxxxxxX**

Sensing nearby strong chakras, Sakura and Sasuke hid their own chakra and hid in the bushes. "Sasuke will this work?" She whispered to Sasuke as she tried to calm her heart down. Sasuke and she were wearing cloaks. Sasuke had a black one and Sakura had a dark maroon to compliment her pink shinobi outfit.

"Hn, you have no confidence?"

"No but—"

"They're coming," He smirked, "I'm going to keep my promise, I'm going to beat my brother up,"

Sakura smiled, "I'll keep mine, I won't be weak anymore,"

Sasuke kept his smirk on as he flashed it towards Sakura before it faded away. "They're here!" he whispered sensing the nearby chakra, "There're six of them…Sakura,"

"Hm?"

"I have a plan, but it'll be a bit risky…"

"Eh?"

She leaned in close to hear the contents of his plan. After a few moments, Sasuke pulled away to see a gawking Sakura, "EH?"

"Sh, so, are you up for it?" his dark obsidian orbs stared into her jade ones, "If you don't like it, we can always set traps and see how that goes,"

"No way, I'm totally up for your plan!"

"Keep it down, you're really annoying,"

Sakura gave an inflated cheek pout before placing the hood of her cape on. "It's on…Akatsuki!"

**XxxxxxX**

Itachi stopped in his tracks. "Hn?" His eyes scanned the area for any chakra signatures but he found none. But why was it that he could sense a presence?

"Itachi, is something wrong?" Sasori glanced at the raven haired Uchiha,

"Do you not feel a presence?"

"Hm…" He crouched lower on fours to listen to vibrations on the ground. He could feel no other kind of vibrations. However, when Itachi had mentioned some sort of presence, he was able to detect something. It was faint, but it felt like someone was watching them, "…I feel it...but I cannot see it," Sasori kept his ear pressed against the ground for any sign of movement, and then his eyes widened. Quickly, he jumped back and so did the rest.

As soon as all six were in the air, the ground where they once were shattered and a deep crater was formed. "Wha…?" they landed on the far end only to disperse when several electric sparks snaked towards them.

"You think it's that blond bastard?" Hidan was yelling at Kakuzu who was across him, separated by the crater.

"Wow, such immense power to shatter the ground. Aren't we in for a fight?" Kisame snickered as he examined the ground beneath him. But he found himself backing away when another set of rumbles sent the trees around them crashing towards them. They looked for any sign of the earthquake's origin. But they couldn't find it until a figure came crashing from the sky and with its bare fist, slammed the earth and shattered it. They all caught off balance from the impact of the ground shaking and were oblivious to the fact that the figure that slammed the earth had darted forward. All but Hidan were quick enough to dodge the figure.

It all happened so fast. One moment Hidan was trying to still himself, the next he was on the settled ground with a kunai thrust up his neck. His Kasa, with the impact, flew off and landed somewhere. He was literally pinned on the ground and was trashing. And yet, somehow the fact that he was mercilessly trapped beneath someone who could create craters with his fist excited him. His thoughts were between getting out and sacrificing this person. "What the—Fucking, get off of me!"

As Hidan cursed, the figure above him froze. The hood it had on hid its face from him, but Hidan could tell how tense it was. He took it as an opening and raised his leg to kick the figure off of him. But, another figure zipped past the Akatsuki and caught the other figure by the waist and dragged it off.

Hidan rose from the ground and shouldered his scythe with a sneer on his face, "What's this? You bastards fucking scared?" He expected both of them to yell back some sort of retort, but instead they kept silent. The figure who dashed in and saved the other was leaning down to see the first figure's face. "Hey…are you okay?" It whispered to the other.

The rest of the Akatsuki sided next to Hidan and stared at the two. "What's this, yeah? Why didn't you kill him, yeah? Would've saved you lots of trouble, un." By now, all their kasas and fallen off and their faces were revealed.

"Deidara." A scolding voice came from the member that wasn't in the two figure's views. The hooded figures froze in place, only their heads turned to the owner of the voice. As Itachi's face came into view, they both tensed in different ways. The one in the maroon cloak began trembling, but the one in black was seething with anger. "You…"

Itachi stilled recognizing the voice, "Hn, so it's you Sasuke?" The other Akatsuki members turned to Itachi. "You've come to greet me, _foolish little brother_?" He made sure to curve Sasuke's title to agitate him even more. True enough, Itachi had hit and nerve and sent Sasuke charging at Itachi. His hood flew off and revealed his raven black hair and crimson eyes. But, Sasuke was disrupted from his charge when he was grabbed by the wrist suddenly. He whipped his head around, "Wha—" He was cut off when the figure in maroon stepped in front of him.

"You all…" The figure's voice was trembling. The voice was high-pitched, thus the Akatsuki deduced that the owner was female.

"Oh? So the one on top of me earlier was a female? Man, if you fucking told me I could've enjoyed myself more!" Hidan snickered. While Hidan was musing with the fact that a female was on him earlier, the others were more concerned with the fact that the one who shattered the ground and created disastrous cracks on it from a single punch was a girl. To their knowledge, only Tsunade, one of the sannin, had the reputation of having brute strength.

The figure was unaffected by Hidan's words. Dainty fingers crept out from the cloak and curled into fists, "…Why?"

The Akatsuki members raised brows. What was this girl talking about?

"Why…are you here…?" the figure had her head tilted down to further lower her face. She was probably doing it out of anger, and in the process hid her face. "Are you the Akatsuki?"

"Heh, well who do you think we are? Of course we're the Akatsuki!" Kisame declared with a thumb pointing at himself.

Sasuke was staring at his female partner with bewildered eyes. What was she going on about? Their plan was to distract them then attack them, but now everything had fallen apart. Furthermore, she was now _conversing_ with the enemy. "Saku—" he tried to call her but was cut off by the maroon cloaked woman, "WHY ARE YOU THE AKATSUKI?"

Deidara blinked, "What's with you, yeah? What do you mean _why_ are we the Akatsuki, un?"

They could hear her shortened breaths. Her fists uncurled and traveled to her hood. Her fingers tightened on the top of her hood scrunching it as if like hair. "This can't be…you can't be the Akatsuki…"

"Oh fucking shit, let's just kill her…"

"Kill…me…?" Her voice was broken, as if caught between sobs. But there were no tears dripping from the shadow of her hood. "ANSWER ME! WHY ARE YOU THE AKATSUKI? YOU PEOPLE CAN'T BE THE AKATSUKI!" She pointed an accusing trembling finger at them.

All of the Akatsuki was getting really tired of this girl. What was wrong with her? Was she crazy? Because it seemed like she was.

Sasuke felt three different Chakra signatures behind them. He glanced behind him as Lee, Kiba and Shikamaru popped out from the bushes. "Sasuke! Are you two alright?" But they froze when they saw the Akatsuki standing before them. "What's happen—" Shikamaru was cut off by a raised hand as if to silence them. The Akatsuki, for a moment, turned their attention to the newcomers but was distracted when Sasori raised a question.

Sasori found slight amuse in what was happening and dragged the conversation on. He was curious to know why the girl was reacting in such an unusual way. No one had ever questioned if they were the Akatsuki or why they were the Akatsuki. Their usual reaction was to either fight or run. "And why can't we be the Akatsuki? What if we are the Akatsuki?"

Fingers traveled towards the edge of her hood, "Be-because…" they tightened their grip on the fabric, "Y-You're…" she paused for a long time before, with a cracked voice, continued, "…my nii sans…"

With the mention of the word: 'nii sans', they all froze. Even Sasori and Itachi who were the most composed, had stilled. It couldn't be…there was only one person who ever called them that. And that person…was dead.

Sasuke's crimson eyes widened with the same statement._ Her nii sans? How on earth…? She and the Akatsuki know each other?_ Shikamaru, Lee and Kiba somehow were in the same line of thought. They had come here in anticipation of a battle. They were prepared to face the Akatsuki and have a battle until the end But, nothing prepared them for the sudden turn of events. Sakura had just called the Akatsuki her nii sans!

Slender fingers tugged on her hood and pulled it down. Pink frocks flowed from the hood and cascaded down onto her shoulders. Her eyes were shut, but slowly they opened and revealed emerald eyes.

The Akatsuki stared in shock. How was it possible? She was dead, wasn't she? She was supposed to be dead! Then why…why was she standing in front of them? Or could it be…this was an illusion? That was it. It was probably some genjutsu…this wasn't Sakura. This _couldn't _be Sakura. Definitely…this had to be some trickery of the eye.

That's definitely it…A simple mirage…because this pink haired, green eyed woman standing before them was NOT Sakura. Their little cherry blossom angel had been taken back to heaven—she was dead!

And yet, why was it, at the back of their minds, they thought—hoped—that the one standing in front of them was real?

**XxxxxxX**

**-Yes I know you're all thinking: OMG! FINALLY! AFTER ALL THESE CHAPTERS SHE FINALLY MEETS THEM! =_=; Haha so I don't think I need to elaborate more on what happened. Oh to the people who tried guessing what was going to happen, some of you got it half right. xD And as to why I made them meet here and not in the previous chapter was because…well I felt that it just wasn't right. I don't really have a definite reason. It was just that I felt that it was too soon. Besides, I don't think, though it would be funny, Sakura would enjoy having a reunion wearing such a dress. xD However, I think this chapter lacks…theme. I mean yeah I've placed the events properly but it just lacks aesthetics T.T I dunno, do you think this chapter lacks artsy-ness?**

**-I'm kind of worried, I wonder if I did this chapter justice? ==**

**-By the way, trompe l'oeil means "Trick the Eye". The theme connection to the title only **_**really **_**appeared in the last part. However, you can sort of connect it to the faint chakra signatures, blurring figures of Akatsuki dashing through the trees etc. xD Also Trompe comes from Tromperie meaning deception. So, Sakura is also connected to this because the Akatsuki somehow deceived her. **

**-Yeah I just shined a little light on Sai because…well…I felt sorry for him? xD I love his comical mistakes. **

**-So as always, your feedback and comments are very much welcomed. =3 ^w^**

**-Madam Obscurum, "Cherry blossoms on the faint breeze, have you returned this spring to ease my sorrow? Or are you a simple trick of the sun's glow?" (By Madam Obscurum) **


	17. Chapter 14: Little Girl: Shatter th

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto =O**

**-Wah I've been reading manga! And my god I'm crying T.T I just finished a very emotional manga! I recommend it to you all who like 'slice of life-drama-shoujo' manga readers. It made me cry: Cat Street. It was made by the same mangaka as Hana Yori Dango. Warning, it's quite deep though—I wish to make my stories as deep or deeper than that though.**

**-Thank you reviewers =D I'd also like to thank those who put my story on favorite and alert. I am honored to be worth your attention =D To reviewers, if you find something unsatisfactory, please tell me. Is it my plot line? The pace? The characterization? The way I write? I try to cater your comments as much as I can so please review and tell me. =3 Thank you again ^^ **

**-I am really grateful for your reviews, but I'd like to share a goal that I have. I actually have a goal to create a story that has an average of 22 or more reviews per chapter. Right now, my average stands at about 11.1876 reviews per chapter. :3 . So anyway, I'm not expecting anything I'm just sharing this with you. :3 **

**-As I read my chapters, it seems like I'm rather disappointed with the way I write. xD Is the way I write okay? I mean it's not confusing or dull, is it? **

**-about the last chapter, (cowers) Aa, I didn't really mean it to be a cliffy! o;;;**

**-Anyway, here we have the longest and deepest chapter so far. ^^ Enjoy! **

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 14**

**~Little Girl: Shatter then Gather the Pieces into endless inferno~**

White light flooded her vision. She felt herself sit up, a swirling dizziness at the back of her head. Everything was blurry at first, but her eyesight gradually adjusted and took in the whiteness of a hospital room. "…wha?"

"Sakura," A hand quickly brushed her fingertips. Sakura turned to her side to see Sasuke. His face was still emotionless, but she could tell that he was worried. "What happened?"

Sasuke, relieved, retracted his hand, "You fainted. Don't you remember?"

"Ah…fainted?" She had her hand supporting the back of her head. For a moment there, the thought that she had been drunk the previous night crossed her mind. This was because the pain she was feeling was similar to one from a hangover.

"The Akatsuki?" He inwardly cringed for bringing the topic up. But what choice did he have? Sooner or later she would've remembered anyway.

At the mention of Akatsuki, memories came flooding to her brain. She pressed her hand to her head as if to ease the throbbing pain of it all.

_Sakura had tears forming her eyes but they did not fall, "Nii sans…why?" _

_Sasori suddenly regretted pushing the conversation on. Then again, if they had killed the girl, what would they have felt if they knew they killed Sakura? But the girl in front of them couldn't be their Sakura. She had her distinct features—pink hair and green eyes—so much as that she would be what Sakura would have looked like if she indeed had been alive. Still…this girl was supposedly obliterated in the battle. How did she end up in Konoha? Then an idea occurred to him. The lightning user Kakuzu mentioned. Was it possible that he took Sakura back? _

"_Sakura chan, you're alive, yeah?" Deidara was one of the first who had recovered from the shock and be able to speak._

_Shikamaru, Sasuke, Lee and Kiba stared open eyed at Sakura. The Akatsuki member had called her chan? A honorific for familiarity? So Sakura _did_ know the Akatsuki…but how? Why? So many questions came whipping from various directions. Right now, the question on everyone's minds was…Why?_

_Sakura cringed. Her body trembled with mixed emotions of anger, relief and disbelief. Deidara nii chan had asked her if she was alive. Did that mean that all these years, they had thought that she was dead? "…You thought I was…dead?" _

"_Yes," Was the blunt answer from Kakuzu. His voice was stern, and well composed. And despite his still façade, his innards were churning. He was cynical about the whole thing. How was she able to survive that attack? Moreover, he had seen her die or could it be that she had actually just fainted? It was possible, he had fainted himself just after he saw her eyes shut. Furthermore, he was a distance away. There and then, Kakuzu felt his coiled innards slowly uncoil. He felt relief. So he had not let the cherry blossom died. _

_Sakura couldn't believe this. They had thought she was dead, and not once did they bother to make sure? She felt anger slither out of her like snakes emerging from her body. Didn't they notice that there was no body? What proof did they have that she was dead? But something greater messed with her mind. Why on earth were her nii sans the infamous Akatsuki? They had clearly said that they indeed were them, so how? How was it possible? They couldn't be the Akatsuki! They must've been the decoys Shikamaru had said because these people couldn't have killed thousands for their own sadistic purposes…right?_

"Sakura!" The pink haired girl snapped back into reality and lifted her head to meet dark obsidian orbs. "If you're not alright, you should rest some more," Sakura saw the swirl of concern inside Sasuke's eyes. She shook her head with a small smile, "No, I'm fine. I've had enough rest…"

"Are you sure?" She nodded slowly to which the Uchiha responded by stepping away from her to give her space, "Sakura, the Hokage asked to see you once you were awake and ready to talk…"

For a moment, Sakura tensed knowing what her shishou wanted to talk about. She hesitated, but eventually agreed, "Alright…"

Sasuke gave her a stern look before walking out of the room, "I'll go tell them you're ready…"

She heard the door shut and Sasuke's fading footsteps. Her fingertips clutched at her wrists before they slid up towards her arms. She began shaking for some reason even she did not understand.

_Sakura held her ground, rather she couldn't move. She felt like her body had been paralyzed. Only her mouth seemed to be able to move because even her gaze couldn't waver away from the Akatsuki a.k.a. her nii sans. "I'm glad…" she uttered much to the Akatsuki and fellow Konoha nins' surprise, "I'm really glad…"_

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Sakura. Had Sakura finally snapped? "Sakura what are you saying?"  
_

_Her eyes looked as if she were crying but there were no tears. "I'm glad…my nii sans are all safe…All these years…I wondered if…" Her pupils managed to budge a little to focus on Hidan and Kakuzu, "If Hidan nii san and Kakuzu nii san survived that fight…"_

_Shikamaru's eyes widened. The fact that Sakura knew their names and even had a honorific towards them made it clear that she had some sort of old connection. It was confirmed that she was, in some way, related to them. But what kind of relationship did she have with them?_

Sakura was snapped out of her recollections when she heard the creak of the door opening and the several shuffling of feet. She glanced up to see the entire Konoha twelve, Shizune and her Shishou standing before her. For a split second, she was amazed at how they all managed to fit in a cramped hospital room. "Everyone…"

"Sakura chan!" Naruto happily chirped with that big grin of his. Really, if Naruto were a fox he would've had his ears perked up and his tail swishing. "Are you feeling better?"

"Aa, I am…" She gave him a smile to ease him a little.

"That's good because I have some questions for you…" Emerald eyes met Hazel as Sakura turned to face her Shishou. She nodded hesitantly, refusing to look at the other people inside the room. She felt like she was being interrogated—which she was—and it gave her the chills. Placing her in the hot seat made her inwardly tremble. But, when Sasuke mentioned her shishou, she knew what Tsunade and everyone else in the room wanted to know.

"Sakura…" Tsunade's voice was calm yet stern. It sounded like a mother questioning her child. Truthfully, Sakura was like a child towards Tsunade, and she a mother to Sakura, "…how do you know the Akatsuki?"

Sakura felt the question hit her hard. For a moment, she winced taking in the question and allowing it to linger. Her lips parted as she gave a sigh of defeat, "I—" She was stopped when the door creaked open and a flustered Akane came rushing in, "Saku chan!"

Her aunt's arms wrapped around her neck into a tight hug, "Ah Sakura chan, you're awake!" Velvet lips stretched to a smile before she was interrupted by a cough. She whipped around and gave a gasp. She was rushing to see her niece so much that she didn't see the people behind her, "Ah! Hokage sama! I'm so sorry…!"

Sakura, despite being embarrassed, felt a little relief because her aunt had broken the tension inside the room, "Oba san…why don't you take a seat?" A small curve of the lips to show a smile, she motioned towards the seat beside the bed. Akane grinned back before obediently taking her seat.

"Now…" Tsunade said after ordering the door to be locked, "You were saying how you knew the Akatsuki?"

Akane tensed in her seat. She gripped the arms of the chair tightly before forcing herself to remain composed. Sakura, on the other hand, lowered her gaze towards her whitened knuckles. She had been gripping the sheets so hard that there was an insufficient blood circulation within her. "Ah…that…I…"

The Konoha twelve glanced at one another. They were both worried and curious. Her reluctance to speak only made them want to know more.

Trembling lips parted to breathe in then out, "I met the Akatsuki through Itachi nii san…" From the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke tense at the mention of his brother's name, "Ah but I didn't know that…he…did _that_…" she didn't want to mention anymore seeing as everyone understood what 'that' was: Uchiha Massacre, "I met him after the incident in my family…"

Ino, Naruto and Sasuke furrowed their eyebrows, _What incident?_ She had never mentioned anything about an incident in her family.

"I ran out of the house and that's when I met Itachi nii san. He took me away and for a year I lived with them. Oh but," Her hands were raised in defense, "I didn't know that they were the Akatsuki. That's why I'm just as shocked as you all are…" then her hands lowered to grip the sheets below again.

Several pairs of eyes widened with the newly laid out information. Haruno Sakura, apprentice to one of the Sannin: Tsunade, had lived with the Akatsuki and survived.

Sakura's face lowered such that her pupils were hidden from everyone. A small smile made its way towards her face, "I…they were really nice to me. They took care of me and for a year they…were my family—" Her eyes shot up when a loud bang on the wall resonated inside the room. Sasuke had slammed his fist on the wall. His teeth were gnashed together and his dark gray eyes were shaded by his bangs, "Family? You call those _murderers_ family?"

"Sasuke kun I didn't—"

"They _killed_ people! How could you ever—" Sasuke felt his face whip to the side as a hard blow met his face. Tsunade had slapped Sasuke—though careful not to break his neck. "Uchiha, I am doing the interrogating. If you can't hold in your comments then leave."

A faint growl was heard before Sasuke backed up and leaned on the wall with tightened fists.

"So…Did you know they were Shinobi?"

"Yes…"

"Did you know they're abilities?"

"Not thoroughly."

"Did it ever occur to you that they might've been dangerous?" Tsunade's words pierced Sakura. Her nii sans being dangerous? Why didn't it ever come to her mind? Was she that blind?

"…N-no," was her reply. Her voice was weak, defeated and broken.

"And you made no efforts to return to Konoha?"

"I…" Her grip on the sheets tightened, despite being tightened enough, that her hands trembled, "I didn't want to go back to Konoha," Her remark earned her silent gasps.

"Why not?"

"I—"

"Hokage sama…" Akane gave the irritated Hokage a small smile, "The reason to that is something that cannot be said in public," Her grin widened into her infamous cat-like smile, "But if you really are determined to know…it has something to do with the incident she mentioned. Also, when Sakura was taken by Itachi, she was about nine years old. She was a child, so you can't blame her," In spite of her Cheshire cat smile, Akane's eyes were firm.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief. For once, she was thankful that her aunt was pushy. Tsunade, though a little agitated with Sakura's aunt, nodded, "Alright, that's all I have to ask for now…Rest easy Sakura," She gave a motherly smile before departing with Shizune. Some of the satisfied Konoha twelve shinobi left as well after the Hokage.

"Sakura chan?" The ones left in the room were Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Ino and Akane.

She paid no attention to anyone else in the room except for Sasuke who was emitting a dark aura in the corner, "Look, Sasuke kun, I'm sorry that I—"

Sasuke gave her a crimson death glare, "I don't want to hear it…" then he stormed out of the room. Sakura had felt a cold jolt in her spine when his crimson iris met her jade ones.

"Teme!" Naruto dashed after Sasuke leaving behind a worried Hinata. Ino, however, was more interested in the 'incident' Sakura mentioned. Why hadn't she known about it before? Why hadn't she told her? "Sakura," She called Sakura's attention and she had done so with her name which meant business.

Sakura lifted her head. Everything that had happened and was happening was clouding her thoughts. Her heart felt like it had been chained down by weights. Her eyes were half lidded in her blurred gaze.

"What's the incident you've been saying?"

Sakura tensed and felt her lip tremble. She never ever wanted to think back on the events of that night. Fingertips scrunched the sheets and her face paled two shades lighter. Akane, sensing her niece's reluctance to speak, stood and directed Hinata and Ino to go outside, "Saku chan needs rest…come I'll tell you two,"

**XxxxxxX**

"I-Ino chan y-you w-went too f-far…" Hinata stuttered in a half scolding voice.

"Too far? She didn't tell me about this incident! I was her friend and I never knew about thi—" Ino felt her face whip towards the side. She held her palm to ease the stinging pain on her cheek.

Akane had her hand raised in the air. Slowly, she lowered her hand with a glare. "Yamanaka chan…I understand that you're her friend and you feel betrayed that she kept something from her. But, if you are a true friend, then you must understand how hard it is for her."

Ino clenched her fists. It was true that she felt betrayed in so many ways. Knowing Sakura had kept something from her made her stomach lurch and her heart to sink. Still, she knew that if she didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't push it. But the spur of recent activities had Ino's rage build up. When Shikamaru had returned with a fainted Sakura, she panicked and didn't know what to do. And even as Shikamaru relayed the events that happened, she felt her blood boiling for a reason she didn't know. Hatred? Betrayal? Maybe even…Jealousy? She didn't know. However, Ino had subconsciously blamed her unidentified, underlying, dark emotions on Sakura's 'act of betrayal'. And yet, even she felt that she was being a real 'bitch' at that moment, "I'm…sorry…" she muttered out, loud enough for Akane to hear.

Akane sighed and folded her arms across her chest. She perked when a stuttering Hyuuga daughter spoke, "U-um…i-is it a-alright to a-ask wh-what that i-incident was? It m-must've been h-horrible…"

Again, Akane let out a sigh before leaning on the hospital walls. For a few moments, she stood there in silence. Her face scrunched several times as if a battle was ensuing inside of her. Finally, Akane gave the two a determined gaze before speaking, "That incident…was when Sakura lost her parents." She heard Hinata give a gasp, "That night was the same night the Uchiha clan was slaughtered. I suppose Itachi met Sakura on his way out and took her with him."

"How did Sakura lose her parents?" Ino swallowed a lump on her throat. She felt like a deep dark feeling in her gut that told her that she didn't need to know. But, a small voice in her head told her that as a friend, she deserved—needed—to know.

Akane gave Ino a firm gaze before speaking, "Sakura's father…killed her mother…afterwards, he committed suicide,"

Sapphire eyes widened in shock. "Why?" was all she managed to say.

"He went crazy. Economic problems." Was Akane's blunt reply. "I won't go any deeper than this…now you know why Sakura doesn't want to speak of this? Unlike the self-piteous Uchiha, Sakura saw her parents killed in front of her." Why was it that as Akane spoke the last parts of her sentence, her eyes were a dreary gray? It held no gleam, no shine, not even a natural reflection from the faint sun's rays? It was as if an empty shell was speaking at that moment.

Ino and Hinata felt their stomachs lurch as dull gray eyes pierced through them. But, as soon as she had finished talking, Akane smiled and patted both girls on their heads, "Now, Saku chan needs rest…shall we go?" With a turn of her heel, she led the two girls down the hall.

**XxxxxxX**

A soft shut of the door and Sakura found herself alone. Her back was hunched in a way that it lowered her head. Her bangs fell to cover her face, only her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her lips were seen. "Why is this happening…?" her voice was raspy and broken just like when she had confronted the Akatsuki. Remembering the harsh truth felt like a crack towards the soul.

_Itachi had been silent. When Sakura had taken off her hood, he found himself unable to do, say or think anything. His mind had become as blank as his face was. When she finished screaming and muttered words of relief, his train of thought began working again. He took the moment to register everything that was happening. Sakura was alive. All these years of thinking she was dead were wrong because she had survived somehow and was alive and well. His angel, his only source of glimmer in the dark world, had returned to him…or had she?_

_From the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke hold the girl's wrist as if in comfort. Itachi felt something bubble inside of him and constrict his heart. But, he deserved it, didn't he? After all, he had plunged Sasuke into a life of revenge. So, this was right wasn't it? Sasuke deserved the angel more than he did. So why, in spite of knowing this, did he want to tear Sakura away from his brother?_

_And then he heard Sakura speak. This time, it was directed at him because she was facing him. "Itachi nii san…" he saw Sasuke wince at the honorific, "…why? Why did you keep this from me…?" _

_What was he was going to say? It was too late to say that they weren't the Akatsuki because that would've been an obvious lie. And as for why he kept it from her…"Sakura," his voice managed to remain monotonous, "When I took you to the Akatsuki, that was my official entrance into it." _

_Sakura felt herself cringe at the way her name rolled off his tongue. His voice was, like before, deep and monotonous. It wasn't that she didn't get everything. She didn't keep asking questions for the sake of it. She knew exactly what was happening. The Akatsuki, deadly S-class criminals, were her nii sans who took care of her some time ago. And, despite being who they were to her, they were the enemy. Yes, she knew exactly what was going on. It was only a matter of believing what was happening that made her ask so many questions. "So…even then you were all mur—" she cut herself off, afraid to say that word. _Murderers.

"_That's correct." The other Akatsuki members were looking at Itachi with worry in their eyes. Itachi had been the closest to the pink angel, so did he think he had the obligation to tell her everything? They saw Sakura grip her wrists in a manner that she dug her nails in them. "Why didn't you kill me then? You all had nothing to gain from me! Why didn't you all just kill me to get it over with?" Everyone except Itachi and Sakura tensed. The Akatsuki and Konoha nin had all thought the same thing, 'Why hadn't they?' _

_Itachi didn't reply because Sakura had yet to cease her chain of questions, "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it from me? All those missions, they all involved killing people? Why did you keep me with you?" her last questions sounded like they weren't directed at anyone. Instead, it sounded as if Sakura were asking herself. "Why…why? Why?" _

_Her head felt like it was going to explode. Questions, answers, which to ask? Which to believe? Which to hide? Information thrashing inside her brain, could she take it all: the fact that her most beloved 'family' had been a bunch of murderers or the fact that when they would come home after slaughtering hundreds, she would be there waiting for them to come home with a fresh pot of soup and bandages to heal them. She had aided, cared for, and maybe even loved a group of people who killed people for the satisfaction of it all. _

"_Why?" Itachi repeated the one question that summed up all her other questions, "because Sakura…" the atmosphere around them increased tremendously. The wind did not blow, the leaves did not rustle, nor did the sun filter through the trees. Sakura swallowed hard in anticipation for his answer. "It was true that at first, I took you in out of pity…But as for why we kept you with us it was because..." He held a pause that only achieved greater tension within everyone, "You were just a little girl." _

_Sakura felt her heart drop, "…what?" If it weren't for the fact that the atmosphere was heavy, his answer would've been rather comical. _

"_It is as I said, you were a little girl—innocent and fragile." Itachi didn't know if it seemed fit to spill his reasons in such a way, but he did seem it fit to answer her questions. "To us, you were something clean…like a piece of blank paper. And, being as we are _murderers," _a hint of sarcasm in his title, "we were unfit to write on it." _

_Kisame was bewildered at Itachi's choice of words, but slowly it began making sense to him. Everything: taking in a little girl, keeping her alive, not telling her about being the Akatsuki, it was all to preserve her innocence. For what purpose, Kisame before pondered on the answer but found none. It was only now that he understood the intentions of his partner: salvation. _

"_In short," Itachi had yet to finish, "you were innocent. And not one of us wanted to destroy that. We kept that piece of paper as clean as possible. However, it seems that it is now inevitable that you are stained." For a moment, Itachi glanced at the Konoha ninja headband protector used as a headband. _

Sakura didn't remember what happened after that. The last thing she remembered was seeing blackness shroud over her. Then, she wakes up in a hospital to spy a flustered Sasuke.

Itachi's voice echoed in her head. What had he spoken off? What innocence? What blank paper? She heard herself give a sarcastic chuckle. Her fingers were tugging on her hair. Her chuckle had turned into laughter. Was she going mad? Because it seemed like she was. "Me? Innocent? Since when? You speak of me as if I'm an angel, with all the purity and innocence crap," She brought her knees to her chest and laid her head on her palms.

She was, in the simplest of words, doing a monologue. Her words were directed at no one seeing as she was alone in the room, "Clean sheet of paper? Don't fuck with me!" Her sarcasm turned into raging anger, "You didn't think you were fit to 'write' on me? What the hell is that?" Her fist slammed into the bed, the pillow and mattress cushioning the impact. She gave a dark chuckle, "Well…if I'm a piece of paper…then…it seems like you've forgotten," her eyes were hard, a somehow sadistic smirk played on her lips, "there're two sides to a piece of paper. It seems like you've only seen one side…" Nails dug into the sheets below her, "you didn't see the other side…the one with so many things written that it seems like the entire sheet has turned black…"

Another deep chuckle, her eyes dropped so her jade eyes dulled with the shadowing of her eye lids, "it would've been better if you just ripped that piece of paper…it's too weak…it wasn't that you weren't fit to write on it…rather you couldn't write on it. It wasn't innocent; it was fragile. One more stroke and you would've torn through…because it was weak…" Anger and sarcasm turned into sadness as tears were held back, "Paper as weak as that…cannot serve its purpose. It deserves to be ripped, thrown and burned…"

Arms wrapped around her knees, she cradled herself. Her mind swirled with memories and thoughts. She dug her nails into her arms as she began rocking back and forth in an attempt to ease her self. "This can't be happening…This is all a nightmare…" Her eyes were bewildered and her skin was paler. Tears refused to come out though she wanted them to. Maybe if she cried, she would feel better, but there were no tears. "I am unclean…dirty…a burden, right otou sama? Father, you said so yourself. You hated me…I hated me…I can't be pure…"

And slowly, in her self-loathing, she fell into a dreamless sleep. But, as she lulled herself to sleep with her words of self-hatred, she felt something inside of her shatter.

**XxxxxxX**

"So do you understand? Teme! Were you even listening to what I said?" A pissed Naruto had Sasuke by the collar. Sasuke had an indifferent, yet angry, look in his face and he had yet to make eye contact with the blond. He grunted and pulled away from the Kyuubi container's grasp.

A little while after Sasuke walked out of the hospital, Naruto had come running and began arguing with him about being 'insensitive'. That began a series of arguments that ended with Sasuke shutting up and Naruto shoving him against the wall in his anger.

Naruto, angry at Sasuke's indifferent reaction, was about to throw a punch in when Lee came between the two. "Bushy brows!"

"This is no time to be fighting!" Lee straightened himself and glanced between Naruto and Sasuke. Neji appeared next to Lee and agreed with him, "The Hokage has summoned all of us,"

Naruto, defeated, nodded and dragged Sasuke by the arm towards the Konoha palace. The Uchiha was about to refuse when Lee grabbed his other arm. Facing backwards, Sasuke could only grunt in frustration as he felt himself being literally dragged by the two. Neji initiated a glaring show down between him and Sasuke.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura woke up and found herself staring at the ceiling. How long had she been asleep? The sun was halfway the horizon thus she deduced that it was sometime around 5-6 p.m. Stretching her legs, she felt the numbness in them. Had she slept with them close to her chest? She winced as a prickly pain seeped through her calves. But, she was glad that she had fallen asleep because it put her mind at ease. She guessed that she would've gone mad if she hadn't done so.

She heard a gentle turn of the knob before seeing a nurse come into the room. "Ah Haruno san, how're you feeling?" She had a gentle smile, and auburn brown hair. From head to toe, she wore white with the exception of her clipboard, hair and eyes, which were all brown in color.

" Ah, Misako san…!" Sakura forced a bright smile the nurse who giggled in response.

"Haruno san, this is the second time you've been hospitalized like this,"

"Aa, you were my nurse back then too." Sakura let out a chuckle remembering the day six years ago when she woke up in the hospital. At that time, Misako san also came in the room in the same manner—and attire.

"Mm, And now you're my superior," a small laugh escaped her lips as she checked the chart on Sakura's bed. "Well, it seems that you're mentally stable,"

Sakura perked up, "mentally stable?"

Misako nodded, "Un, the reason you were hospitalized was in the case that you went mentally unstable. But, it seems like you're alright now."

"Ah yes, I don't feel…crazy?" A laugh echoed throughout the room. Misako walked over towards the coffee table and picked up the box that sat on the chair. She placed it next to Sakura and opened it for her, "Here's your change of clothes. You can go home now,"

"Thank you, Misako san. Ah do you know where shishou is?"

"U-um…well they're having a meeting right now so—Sakura!" Sakura jerked up when she heard 'meeting' and began changing quickly. If they were having a meeting, it would've been about the Akatsuki. She had the right to know their plans, didn't she? Or had she been branded as a traitor?

"I'm discharged aren't I?"

"Well yes but—"

Sakura, fully changed, darted out towards the door, "Ah and Misako chan! Congratulations on your engagement!" she beamed a smile before disappearing down he hall.

"Eh…ugh…thank you…" Misako smiled, a light shade of pink on her cheeks.

**XxxxxxX**

"So what do you plan on doing baa baa chan?" Naruto had his brows furrowed and his palms rested on the edge of the Hokage's desk. For some reason, he was pissed off.

The Konoha 12 and their former senseis were gathered around the hokage's desk. It was earlier when the Hokage called a meeting for everyone, and discussed the 'situation' at hand.

Tsunade heaved a sigh before rubbing her temples, "One matter leads to another," She muttered to herself. She was stressed, but the reason leaned more towards the situation with Sakura. Her apprentice had a connection with the Akatsuki—a group of S class criminals capable of destroying the existence of Konoha. On one hand, this would be a dangerous situation because Sakura held a lot of valuable information and if she betrayed Konoha, it would've been disastrous. On the other hand, if she somehow convinced the Akatsuki—no, that would've been an impossible choice. Even for someone with deep relations couldn't convince the Akatsuki.

She inwardly cringed. The thought of someone with deep relations to the Akatsuki, who tried convincing them but failed, made her think of someone whose death recently occurred. _Jiraiya…Even you failed. Would it be wise to try again?_ Hazel eyes stared intently at Naruto. A deep sense of pity made her heart feel heavy.

What were they going to do? An all out attack was out of question because doing that would cost numerous deaths. Konoha people were not ones to start wars. Even an infiltration of their base wasn't possible because the Akatsuki were perceptive. Taking down the Akatsuki individually would be a too high-profile job and took too much time. The other large shinobi nations were—have been—already doing that and had yet to succeed.

As she saw it, there were only two choices: either one, defend Konoha when they arrive and hopefully get rid of them in the attempt to defend the village or two, create some sort of peace agreement. Though the latter was a near impossible choice, but it probable.

The room was quiet. Each Shinobi was in deep thought for any method or plan they could come up with. Even Shikamaru was taking long in thinking of a plan.

Tsunade shut her eyes and tried emptying her mind first. She heard the faint bustling of people below the palace. When the Akatsuki left, they deemed it safe at the moment and let the people out, but the people were ready for any sudden evacuations.

"Oi baa baa chan! They couldn't have gone far! We can still catch up to them! I'll beat them up for tricking Sakura chan like that!"

"You know that can't be done, Naruto!" A vein on Tsunade's forehead throbbed, "Besides, with their speed they would've been back to their base by now!"

"Then all the better! We can attack their base—"

"Oi Uzumaki," Shikamaru had his hand on his waist, his back leaned back on the wall in a lazy manner, "Did you even bother thinking if we knew where their base was?"

Naruto whipped around to retort but was at a loss for words. Shikamaru, the intelligent lazy-ass, was right. None of them knew where the Akatsuki base was.

"We should've kicked their asses when they we had them!" Kiba commented from the side. His teeth were gnashed into a snarl and so was Akamaru's.

"If we did," Shikamaru had tilted his head to glance at Kiba, "We would've been dead."

"Oh yeah, then why'd they run?" Kiba glared at the Nara clan member. Hinata and Shino had come up at his side to stop Kiba in case he lunged at him. Choji and Ino also took their place next to Shikamaru.

"Because it would've given them an unnecessary fight." Lee wouldn't let himself be ignored. "That's what Uchiha san said," Lee, being a little more attentive, happened to listen to the dialogues of the Akatsuki members.

_Sakura lay on the ground fainted from mental exhaustion. The Akatsuki members, who were mutually in shock, twitched seeing the pinkette lose consciousness. Itachi, looking like his composed self, ordered the others to turn back. _

"_What, yeah? We're just going to leave, un? We can't—" the blond one was panic stricken when the one with the tail scolded him._

"_I agree, Itachi san," Kisame tried to get through his partner, "We can easily finish them off and—"_

_Itachi's crimson eyes lingered for a moment at the pink haired girl, then towards his brother, before directing them at his fellow Akatsuki members, "It would be an unnecessary battle," For a second, the tomoe's in his eyes changed, but the others blinked it off as some sort of mirage. Still, it didn't change the fact that Itachi was giving off a rather deadly aura. It made Kisame and Deidara uncomfortable and chose to shut their mouths. _

_Hidan would've gone against Itachi's orders if it weren't for Kakuzu. Kakuzu dragged his partner off even if he, himself, was reluctant to leave. Then, six figures turned into blurs as they dashed off._

_Sasuke was about to chase after his brother when he remembered the unconscious female teammate. He stopped in place and turned to pick up the pink haired kunoichi. _

_Lee heard Sasuke mutter a curse, then a 'tch' before he darted off towards Konoha. Lee, himself, was impressed at his rival in skills and love—so he called Sasuke. What had happened to him? He wasn't close to the Uchiha, but he knew that if it were the old Sasuke, he would've dashed off to kill his brother without regard for anybody else. And yet, he had thrown that opportunity to tend to Sakura. _

"Don't use that honorific on him," Sasuke snapped Lee back from his flashback, "'san' gives him too much credit, don't even use the Uchiha name—he soils it." His eyes were narrowed at particularly nothing, but it was obvious that he was pissed. "Hn, that bastard doesn't even deserve to have a name."

"Uchiha, calm down," Tsunade scolded from her desk. "I'm getting an even bigger headache just watching you all. However, Shikamaru did point out an important matter. We don't know where the main base of the Akatsuki is—"

"I know where it is," A smooth feminine voice peaked out from the creaking of the doors. Pink locks sprawled down broad but slender shoulders, and green eyes poked in the room.

"Sakura, I thought I told the nurse to send you home."

"Shishou, surely you know I'm not the kind of person to back down."

"Hn, you dare show your face? You must've gotten that from my brother, didn't you?" Sasuke muttered from the side.

Sakura winced at his words but paid no attention to them. Instead, she directed her attention to her shishou whose hazel eyes stared into her emerald ones intently, "Well Sakura, since you're here…what do you think we should do?"

"You're asking a traitor—"

"That's enough Uchiha!" Tsunade glared at Sasuke along with the others who were just as annoyed with his rude remarks. Sasuke, without an outlet for his anger, buried himself into the shadows and shut his mouth—much to everyone's relief.

Sakura fell silent for a moment. Her mind, though a little clouded, managed to sift through different scenarios. After moments of deep thinking, her cherry pink lips parted to speak, "A negotiation." 

Everyone glanced at one another, save for the Hokage who raised a brow at her apprentice, "Sakura, I suppose you should've known that we already thought of that, but the success rate of that is low."

"If you send a shinobi with enough background to persuade them."

"What do you mean?"

"Send me." Green eyes filled with strong-willed determination fixed onto the Hokage. Hazel eyes dilated for a split second before falling into softness, "Sakura…we can never make sure that—"

"You think I'll betray Konoha? If you want to, you can send an entire army! Just," A pregnant pause filled the air before her once strengthened jade eyes hid from view, "Just please…I—let me speak with them. I know them more than anyone in this room and…I just want to…reaffirm my standing."

"Your standing?"

"Sakura chan! They can't possibly—" Naruto was cut off by slender fingers raised by Hinata. Naruto gave a quick glance towards the Hyuuga girl who gave him a shake of the head to mean 'not to disturb'. Hinata, being one of Sakura's friends, understood her. Having this in mind, Naruto backed down and remained silent.

"Yes, my standing. Please…" Her voice was broken and desperate, "I believe that I can do something. I know that they will at least listen. If worse comes to worst then I will battle them myself,"

The Konoha nin froze in their place. Was she serious? Taking on the Akatsuki alone was suicide!

"And what if you only made it look like you fought with them, but instead joined them?" Sasuke had once again spoken. Naruto was ready to punch the guy when Tsunade spoke, "Yes, what if that happens?" Everyone gawked at the Hokage. Then again, she and Sasuke did have a point.

"I won't betray Konoha!" Sakura threw her arm around in her anger, "Shishou! Do you honestly think I would?"

Tsunade's softened hazel eyes lingered on the pinkette before fixing them on her laced fingers, "No…I honestly don't," silence fell once again in the room. No one chose to speak because they found that there were no words to speak. Even the earlier callous Sasuke wouldn't open his mouth to speak.

Tsunade found herself falling into deep contemplation. If Sakura negotiated with the Akatsuki, there was a high possibility that they would achieve something. But, the worst case scenario would be Sakura joining the Akatsuki because of her previous background with them. Her fingers rubbed her temples as she felt blood rush and pound through her skull. She managed to utter a small sigh before lifting her head to look at the Shinobi once again. She had no choice. She had to leave everything up to faith, "Fine."

"Eh?" The others, along with Sakura, was taken aback by the Hokage's words.

"I'm going to send you along with a few others to negotiate with the Akatsuki."

"Hokage sama, you can't!" Shizune stepped forward, Ton ton in her hands, "This is the Akatsuki and what if they don't listen? What if they—"

"Shizune, this is for me to decide." Shizune backed down and remained silent, "Do you accept this mission?"

Sakura, from the moment her master had announced her decision, felt her mind go blank. It was only through Shizune's complaint did she snap back, "Y-yes! Shishou sama!" Her body curved down to a bow and a small smile carved onto her lips.

"You did say you knew their main base right?"

"It's the Rain country…"

Tsunade stiffened._ So that's where Jiraiya went?_ She nodded, "Team Kakashi, Team Asuma, Team Kurenai and Team Gai, you will accompany Sakura and serve as her escort,"

"EH?" Naruto jumped up, "Isn't that everyone in the room?"

A smirk tugged at the Hokage's lips, "Exactly,"

"But, Tsunade sama, if they all go—"

"We still have the Suna Shinobi here. Besides, while they go towards the rain country, we'll be creating housing for the suna civilians,"

Shizune had yet to back down, "But is it a wise decision to send them? We're going to lose man power, and—"

"Right now, our greatest enemy is the Akatsuki. If they are occupying the attention of that organization, it'll give us ample time to construct and be ready in case the negotiation turns out bad,"

"Tsunade sama, you're not saying you're treating them like some decoy?"

"Yes and no," pairs of eyes narrowed at the Hokage. What was she thinking? "If negotiations work, there will be a dire need for housing," her smirk widened, "If not, then we need to be up in arms. It's as simple as that,"

"You're sending them to their deaths—"

"Really now? I never remembered our ninjas to be as weak as the not be able to run away from other Shinobi," eyes fixed the younger shinobi.

"But these are the Akatsuki we're talking about!" Shizune squeezed Ton ton making the poor pig thrash in her arms.

"And what, the Akatsuki aren't as great…ne?" Tsunade directed her gaze onto Sakura.

Sakura felt a chill down her spine. The curve in the tone of her shishou's voice had a taunting, cheeky intent in it. As Tsunade continued flashing her that smile, Sakura began realizing what her Shishou was getting at. She, too, smiled much to everyone's confusion, "Yeah…they aren't as great…"

They looked back and forth between Master and Apprentice, and tried to decipher what they meant. Shikamaru, realizing what they were trying to say chuckled, "Hokage sama, you're saying Sakura shouldn't fail in negotiations? Is that it?"

"I have faith in my apprentice," Tsunade remarked before turning her chair around to face the window, "Because as from what I heard from the reports, the Akatsuki couldn't kill Sakura despite having nothing to gain from keeping her alive back then. Now, they have all the more reason to keep her alive,"

"And the rest of us?" Neji hinted from behind the group.

"At the least, I doubt they'll send all of you inside the Rain country especially since they are having problems internally as well."

"Tsu—"

"But," Tsunade beat Shizune to her complaint knowing fully well what she was about to say, "You all should know that I have faith in all of you as well. Faith to return safely whether or not the negotiations are successful." Seeing everyone satisfied with her answer, the people in the room slowly departed from the room leaving Shizune, Sakura and Tsunade.

"Sakura,"

"Yes shishou?"

"Take care of yourself…and everyone. As I said, I have faith in you,"

"Yes,"

"If things look bad find a way to escape immediately…"

"Yes,"

"And…return alive with everyone alright?"

"Y-yes…" Sullen green eyes took one glance at the Hokage before disappearing through the door.

**XxxxxxX**

"Saku chan…?" A flustered Akane brushed Sakura's silky pink hair.

"Mm?" Sakura had her eyes shut in relaxation. Earlier, as she was packing, her aunt had come in and asked to spend some quality time with her. Sakura, seeing her aunt's pleading gray eyes, accept the offer. But, her aunt's desperate façade wasn't the only reason why she agreed to spend some time with her. It was because when she spied her aunt's figure in the door, something in her gut tightened and coiled.

"You're going on another mission?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Does it involve the Akatsuki?"

Sakura was hesitant to reply, but she eventually did, "Yes," Her fingers entwined with one another and squeezed her fingers in an attempt to soothe herself. But, it was only in her attempt to calm did she realize that her aunt had stopped brushing her hair. Instead, her arms had wrapped around her shoulders from behind. "Oba san?" Sakura saw Akane give a weak smile through the mirror before she pulled away.

"Take care of yourself, alright Saku chan? When you come back, I have to tell you something," She flashed a smile before exiting Sakura's room.

Sakura, not turning but seeing everything through the mirror, stared at her own reflection. What had her aunt wanted to talk about? And why couldn't she have said it now? Especially since…she might not come back—no. Sakura would come back because she was sure that her nii sans would keep her alive. They had been Akatsuki when she was young, and they did not kill her despite having no value. Now, they were still Akatsuki and they had all the more reason to keep her alive.

Green eyes met green eyes through the mirror as Sakura scrutinized herself. What was she to them? Itachi nii san said that she was innocent and thus hid everything from her. He also said he kept her because she _was _innocent. Unconsciously, her fingers touched the surface of the mirror. Her green eyes looked clouded by something unknown and her lips a pale shade of pink. Slowly, dainty fingers slid down the mirror. Her eyes followed every movement of her fingers, examining it as if it were something out of this world.

Her fingers settled at the lower region of the mirror. Her eyes traveled up to meet her reflection's eyes. She stared into them for a long time until her lids fell half way. It was as if she was hypnotized by her own reflection. At the time, the only thing that was going through her mind was if she was going crazy. Why was she going crazy? She guessed it was the denial and depression she was getting from the events that were happening. Somehow, she wished that she could just hate Itachi and the Akatsuki like Sasuke did, but she couldn't. She couldn't find the heart to hate her nii sans. Besides, it would've made her a hypocrite in Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke, he was still mad at her wasn't he? He was being direly insensitive, however he was right. Even towards Ino, she had mentioned nothing of her past and kept it to herself. But then again, was it some duty to tell everything? Well…Ino did tell Sakura everything about herself. She did not keep everything from her, even when they fought for Sasuke, their raging feelings for the Uchiha were not kept from each other. Sakura felt her heart drop in her guilt. So, she was this kind of a person? Despite them revealing everything towards her, she had chosen to keep things hidden in the dark. It was too cruel of an act. She was this bad of a person? And Itachi nii san called her pure and innocent? It was all too ironic for Sakura.

Her head throbbed endlessly until it became unbearable for Sakura. It had become a habit of hers, to fill her head with questions. And right now, there were too much questions that her head felt that it would crumble. She panted, sweat trickling down the sides of her face. She wanted the thoughts to stop. She wanted to get away from everything. Disillusioned, head throbbing, and confused, she felt something was about to snap inside of her. In her delirious state, pressed her fingers into the mirror shattering it. The glass shards drew blood, forming cuts on her fingers. But, she ignored the stinging pain. Instead, she caught her breath relieved that the pain in her fingers removed the pain in her head—and heart.

Once she regained herself, she pulled her hand away and nursed the wounds on her fingertips. The mirror, broken, had cracks all over. The cracks even crossed her reflection and distorted it. She sighed and tightened her hand into fists, "I won't…become like you…" Hard eyes stared back at Sakura from the mirror, "I won't run away like you did…"

**XxxxxxX**

"So from here, we'll separate into our teams," Asuma held a cigarette between his teeth as he spoke to the other group heads. Kakashi, Yamato, Gai, Asuma and Kurenai were gathered together in a far corner. Their students were gathered together in a circle and chatting. The boys formed their own part of the circle while the girls were left to huddle in their own arc.

Sakura sat next to Ino who was poking fun at the pinkette, "Hey forehead,"

"What is it Ino-pig?" Sakura had mixed emotions of anger and relief. She was glad that Ino wasn't mad at her anymore. A wave of satisfaction passed Sakura.

Ino brought her face close to Sakura's and pressed her forehead with hers, "If you have anymore dark secrets, tell me alright?" Ino beamed a smile at the stunned Sakura.

Sakura sat there gapping at her best friend. Beaming a smile of her own, she nodded and hugged the blonde, "I'm sorry Ino!"

Ino squealed, "ah! Forehead!" She tried to pull away from the bone-crushing hug, but gave up anyway. Ino giggled and soon Sakura had followed suit.

Hinata and Ten ten grinned from their seats and when the two had giggled they had also giggled along. They were glad that the four of them were back being friends. Soon, Hinata and Ten ten had been dragged along by Ino and Sakura in their embrace.

"I love you guys!" Sakura cried out making the other three to laugh even more.

"Sakura, you sound like a drunken old man!" Ten ten commented to which the shy Hinata nodded to.

"Well, I'm glad you guys made up," The four girls turned their heads up towards the towering Kakashi.

"Ah, Kakashi sensei," Sakura grinned widely at the teacher who was also grinning from behind his mask.

"Sakura, I'm not your sensei anymore…" Kakashi had his exposed eye into a curved slit and Sakura guessed he had a wider grin behind that mask of his—which was true.

"I know that, but still," Sakura gave a small pout. She heard a small chuckle escape her sensei's lips before his face composed itself. "Well…anyway…Sorry to break up the happy festivities, but we have to separate now." Kakashi braced himself for the reaction he would receive.

"EH?" was Ten ten, Sakura and Ino's expected reaction. However, the bashful Hinata had managed to show just an expression of shock and nothing more. "We're not going together?"

Kakashi had a hand behind his head and another tucked into his pocket, "Eh well…We decided that it was better to split because that way danger would be easily spotted. We'll keep in touch through radio, and be some distance away."

"Aw…" Ino crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the gray haired shinobi. Hearing the familiar voice of her own sensei, Ino perked up. "Guess I have to go…see you guys later!" she chirped happily then ran off to join her group. Soon, Ten ten and Hinata had done the same thing leaving Kakashi and Sakura alone.

Sakura had her hand up in a position that suggested she was waving moments ago. Kakashi, who had watched the other kunoichi leave, called Sakura's attention, "You should go too, the boys are already waiting."

"Yes, Kakashi Sensei,"

"I'm not your sensei anymore. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Sakura let out a soft chuckle, her fingers touching her lips in an attempt to stifle it. When her laughter had died down, she let her lips form a small smile that was directed at herself. She was glad that things were looking up, and that she was able to laugh and smile a little. And yet, the dark heavy feelings within her were still looming somewhere inside her. Suddenly remembering about those dark feelings made her smile fade and her eyes grow dull. Her heart began weighing heavier to the point that she felt lifeless. Her mind grew blank, and she was grateful that it did because the last thing she needed was a headache. She had even grew oblivious to the fact that Kakashi was walking next to her.

Kakashi had his head cocked a little to the side so he could properly see Sakura's expression. He was confused because moments ago she was laughing with her friends, but now…now she seemed to have retreated into a dull state. The first thing that crossed his mind was about girls having real quick mood swings. Then again, Sakura had always been one to have quick mood swings. She would be calm and the next thing you know, she's brimming with anger.

So, it wasn't really odd for Sakura to suddenly change emotions. But still, Kakashi was a little more concerned because the last time he saw Sakura in such a graven state was when Sasuke had left Konoha. But that only made him worry more because Sasuke leaving had been a life-changing moment in her life. Then again, this was a life-changing moment for Sakura. He found a bubble of anger rise inside of him. He had always hated the Akatsuki. They had caused pain both for Naruto and Sasuke, and before, he was glad that Sakura was immune to their wrong-doings. But, he never expected that even Sakura had some deep connection with them.

He sighed. Sakura was strong. And he didn't mean that physically. She was emotionally and mentally strong because among all his students, Sakura had been the most ordinary out of all of the three. In truth, Kakashi had not expected Sakura to rise to her current level, and he regretted thinking that. He had given his attention to Naruto and Sasuke because Sasuke was like him and Naruto was interesting to teach. And in giving attention to the two, he had forgotten to leave some for the female member of the team.

It would've been a lie to say that he saw big potential in Sakura. Actually, he once thought that Sakura, besides having impressive intelligence and a knack for genjutsu, had little potential to be a strong kunoichi. But boy had he been proven wrong on that day when he asked Naruto and Sakura to do the bell test all over again. Sakura had gotten over her plainness. Sakura, once the weak link of Team 7, had risen from being ordinary to being outstandingly extraordinary.

But, just how strong was Sakura? Every person had certain limits, so to what extent could Sakura bear? Seeing her forlorn expression on her face made him fear the possibility that Sakura had already passed her limit. He didn't know when, how or what he should do. She was his student (former), and he had the responsibility to at least cheer her up. But what would he say? That the Akatsuki were despicable people and it was something to be expected?

"Kakashi sensei!" Naruto had both arms thrust in the air and was waving them back and forth. "You're late again!"

"Aa, we're coming, ne Sakura?"

Sakura perked at the mention of her name. Seeing Naruto ecstatically waving his arms allowed a piece of bliss to enter her. She managed to give a crooked grin as she walked side by side by her sensei, "Yes…"

**XxxxxxX**

They had used the rest of the day traveling. From time to time, the various teams had kept in contact. However, Team 7 had split into two. Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke had stayed amongst one another while Sai and Yamato went on ahead. The two would've been the initial scouts because their mission was to escort and protect the V.I.P. who was, as said in the earlier meeting, Sakura. By the time everyone had settled into various camps, it was already near midnight and everyone was tired. Team seven had, because Sai and Yamato served as their 'owls', focused their attention to the surroundings around them and kept close.

They had chosen to create a small camp. Sleeping bags lay across the forest floor, and a single campfire in the middle to keep warm. The fire crackled, it's hot flames blazing and dancing. They entwined themselves with the flowing wind. Jerking and bolting, they danced like there was no tomorrow. It sounded implausible: the fact that the fire was lit just moments ago and they were already dancing and erupting like they were going to die at any moment.

Green, blue, gray and black eyes stared into the dancers, following their every movement. The silence was heavy. It hung in the air suspenseful yet so fragile, that it would break any moment. And it did.

Black eyes steered away from the dancers as Sasuke stood and walked away. The blonde boy who was, moments ago, sitting next to him called after him, "Oi! Teme! Where're you going?"

In reply, Naruto received a grunt and the continuous crunching of leaves. "It's my turn to watch." Sasuke had said it in such a rough manner that Naruto figured that he was still mad about…well about everything. Naruto made a pleading face at Sasuke's shrinking back before glancing at the other person next to him.

The said person and only female team member was silent. Sakura had her mind on other things. It seems that whenever she was left alone, she would sink into a state of deep contemplation. The flames reflected in her dull jade eyes. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice that Sasuke had left.

"Sakura chan?" was what woke her from her trance.

"Ah?"

"Are you alright?" The blonde questioned, his face naïve and concerned as it always was.

She could only nod with a small smile plastered onto her face before its expression changed into the previous contemplating one.

The smile Sakura had showed him was obviously fake, but Naruto didn't press her more. He shied away to his own world as Sakura followed suit and drifted into her thoughts again.

Kakashi silently sighed in his own corner. He had watched the entire scene starting from when Sasuke had left. He glared, not particularly at anything. It was a release for the confusion and anger that rose within him. _Family_. He wondered how Sakura could call those S class criminals, 'family'. He reasoned that they were nothing but murders and delinquents. They did unmoral things. They had killed the innocent.

That's when his reasons faltered. The innocent_? Sakura was—is—innocent, and they made no attempt to kill her then and not even now_. The Akatsuki could have killed her when they encountered her. They could've slain her easily along with Shikamaru, Kiba, Lee and Sasuke on the spot because Sakura obviously knew too much about them. And when she fainted, they could've thrown a kunai at her defenseless self.

Itachi, as mentioned by Lee, had called the foreseen battle to be 'unnecessary'. However, would it have been really? It was true that Lee, Kiba, Shikamaru and Sasuke were formidable opponents, but that was for a 1-vs-1 battle. At that time, it was a 4-on-6 battle and the Akatsuki had a great advantage. So why, then? Why had they just left them alone knowing that the consequences that when they returned, Konoha would be ready?

Then it struck him. Maybe the Akatsuki had not wanted to hurt Sakura? Maybe they thought it was unfit, maybe…they couldn't kill her? Why? Well, Sakura did have sufficient knowledge about Konoha that would've proven useful to them. Probably, Sakura would've been made use of later. But, Sakura was not one to give in, and if they made attempt to get her to betray Konoha, being Sakura's teacher, Kakashi knew that it was a futile attempt.

Kakashi fell into deep reverie. His exposed eye watched the flaming dancers flickering and swishing about. He kept thinking about Sakura and her relation with the Akatsuki, and why they had kept her. The Akatsuki, as Itachi said, considered Sakura as an innocent child and even after taking her in, kept her innocent. Even now, knowing that she was alive, they did not harm her. Why? Why? Why? It was very unlikely for a band of dangerous rogue ninjas to take in a young girl out of _kindness_—no, they had none of that.

Shikamaru reported what had happened with the encounter in detail. He mentioned Itachi saying that they had considered Sakura a piece of blank paper and that they, being delinquents, were deemed unfit to write on it.

After much contemplation, he made a conclusion. _Probably,_ he mused in his head, _Sakura was right about something. _Maybe they were family, but they became one not for the reasons Sakura had thought. Sakura had thought it was out of kindness or goodwill, but Kakashi thought otherwise. Perhaps, the Akatsuki had taken her in, nursed her, raised her and kept her as clean as she could be as a sign of…guilt? Maybe, the reason they kept her and told her nothing was because they took the opportunity.The opportunity to do what? Perhaps, it was the opportunity—the chance—to do something good. Probably, from taking in Sakura, they took the chance of redemption?

He shook his head. Kakashi shooed the thoughts away and lay down on the flattened earth, thankful that his thought-to-never-end thinking had come to an end. They had traveled all day, and he was tired. He'd stop thinking. He'd have to, if he wanted to rest, that is.

**XxxxxxX**

Sasuke grunted to himself. His fists were curled into a tight fist and his teeth grinded with one another. He hated so many things: He hated _him_. He hated his situation. He hated his past. He hated himself. He hated the Akatsuki. He hated Sakura—Sasuke's eyes widened at the revelation that struck him in the face.

Did he hate Sakura? How could he have hated Sakura? She was his teammate, his friend, his _best_ friend. Maybe, even, _more_ than just a friend. At that moment, Sasuke was hating himself most of all. He was about to say that he hated Sakura, a dear friend of his, though he hated to admit it. He could never hate Sakura not after all he'd done to her, and all she's done for him.

When Sasuke was about to leave, she had offered to stay by his side. When he was gone, she still believed in him. Even when Sasuke had returned, she was still at his side. It was Sakura that reached out for him before he plunged into the darkness, and when he had indeed fallen into that darkness, Sakura had kept reaching out towards him. It was Sakura, with her brute strength and her kind smile, who saved him from the darkness.

And yet, he had been angry with her. For the past days, he had tried his best to avoid her because whenever he got close to her, he would start releasing his anger.

His Sharingan scanned the area, and seeing no sense of danger, slumped down onto the root of a huge tree. True, he used the 'watch' excuse just to get away from all of them and be alone, but he still needed to be aware of his surroundings.

Sasuke, despite his fury, knew that he should've been comforting Sakura instead of worsening the pain. Truthfully, he had been an ass towards her. But comforting her and telling her everything would've been all right wasn't his style. Uchiha Sasuke, all his life, had not been given the privilege of being compassionate. He sighed. For once in his life, Sasuke felt him wishing he had a heart. His heart knew nothing but anger, hate, sadness, pride and bits of bliss from his peaceful times with the old team seven. But, compassion, kindness, pure happiness…love, he knew nothing of those. Maybe once upon a time, he did, but now there were none of those. His rough hands raked through his hair and his charcoal eyes became half lidded in his remorseful thinking.

Why had he been angry? It wasn't Sakura's fault that she didn't know anything. Then again, maybe he wasn't angry _at_ Sakura. Rather, it was an indirect anger. His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't angry at Sakura, he didn't hate her either. He was angry at the fact that Itachi had known Sakura before him. He was angry that Itachi had Sakura by his side some time ago. He hated the fact that Sakura had something to do with Itachi. His teeth gnashed together as he thought of Itachi being _happy_ with Sakura. While Sasuke had suffered in his lonesome, the bringer of his suffering was being happy with his precious friend.

Sasuke felt the cold wind blow past him. He took it as a sign to return because it was near dawn and there were no present dangers. His fists loosened as he sighed in defeat. He stood in one fluid movement before turning towards the camp. There he saw that Kakashi and Naruto had fallen asleep, but Sakura had remained awake. Her head was buried between her knees and her arms were linked around them. He took a step and snapped a twig. Sakura twitched. She lifted her head to look at who had come.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke. She guessed that he was still mad at her, but it was immature to ignore him. "Oh you're back…is it my turn?"

Sasuke stared at her with blank cold eyes, "No."

She nodded in silence and turned to continue staring into the fire. He took it as a cue as he sat beneath a tree, brooding as he usually did. His eyes hadn't left Sakura and he continued watching her. Her face stayed the same although once in a while, her lips would mutter inaudible words. He guessed that she was doing some thinking.

_ Why is this happening to me? _Sakura brought her knees closer to herself.

_ Dammit. Itachi, why did you have to get Sakura tangled up in this?_ He had his gaze fixed onto her. For a moment, a flicker of deep sadness crossed Sakura's face. Sasuke felt his heart coil. He wanted to do something, but what could he do? At the moment, he was supposed to be angry with her. But, the look on her face urged him to…to do…he didn't know what he wanted to do, he just knew that he wanted to do something to stop her from making that face! "Dammnit," he muttered to himself, "Itachi…I hate you…and now even Sakura who I thought had absolutely had nothing to do with you is suffering too…damn you Itachi…I don't care if I break my promise towards Sakura, I'm going to kill you for making her make that face…damn you…" Although his words were more or less directed at his pride and inability to ease Sakura's suffering.

Sakura turned to Sasuke. He was talking to himself in inaudible words. She was able to pick up a few words though, 'I…kill…him…damn…' Her heart wrenched. Sasuke had returned to wanting to kill Itachi despite the promise they made before. If Sasuke had thoughts of killing his brother, then it was a sign that he was resigning to become his old self. Over the past few days, his anger revealed bits and pieces of Sasuke's old cold nature towards everything. And in spite of knowing full well why he was angry, she couldn't do anything to comfort him because she too was in the wrong.

Once or twice it occurred to her that he might've been angry because she had a bond with Itachi. Was he angry because she knew him and never once mentioned it? Then again, it wasn't her fault. She didn't _know_ Itachi was an Uchiha, more or less the older brother of Sasuke. In fact, she didn't _know_ a lot of things since, apparently, these things were kept from her. Even with Sasuke, it was always 'my brother' or 'that bastard'. He never mentioned a name and she never dared to ask because it was taboo for him.

And, despite Sakura's reluctance to calm the Uchiha because he could snap at any moment, she gathered her courage to do so. Even if she felt like she were in pieces right now, she picked herself up with a deep inhale and exhale of air. She uncurled herself and stood before approaching the fuming Uchiha. Sakura spoke softly in a reassuring voice, "Sasuke…kun?"

"What?" He replied in a harsh tone. She winced at this but brushed it off. She expected this reaction. At that moment, she had no right to comfort her friend because he was more or less mad at her, but she couldn't stand seeing him in such an angry and deprived state.

"Are you alright?" Her face and hand inched close towards Sasuke to ease him.

"What does it look like?" He slapped her hand away. For all it was worth, Sasuke tried his best to calm himself. He knew that he shouldn't be so snappy with Sakura, but seeing her face so close to his made him think of Itachi and Sakura together. The thought was unbearable, and it made his heart heavy.

Sakura gave a small shriek. She pulled her head back as her hand was slapped away. She had expected Sasuke's anger, but the fury in his eyes defeated Sakura's courage because for a moment, Sakura's body felt numb. Sakura, trembling, decided that she would do her best to calm Sasuke down. She knew that she was only partially in the wrong, but she also knew that Sasuke had an immense pride. So, to adjust to him, she resolved to lower her own pride, "Sasuke I'm-"

Sasuke realized what he had done and internally battled within himself. It was a battle between his emotions and his pride. When Sakura began talking, Sasuke had finished his own battle and let the winner, his emotions, take over, "I'm sorry." He made sure to cut off Sakura before she could say anything.

Sakura stared in disbelief, "eh?" She was the one who was supposed to apologize. What had happened to cause this ironic turn of events?

Sasuke groaned having to repeat, "I'm sorry I got mad at you…" He said half pouting, half frowning. And even when his pride was hurting, he felt an emotional relief pass through him. Who knew that a few words could ease him so much?

Sakura, for a while, stared at him. Her green eyes were dilated from the shock, and Sasuke figured her non-responsive self was due to the shock. Of course it would've been a shock. Apologizing was very un-Sasuke-like. Sasuke turned his gaze away because he felt that he couldn't look at Sakura—he was too embarrassed. But his gaze didn't stray away too long because it quickly returned towards the pinkette.

Sakura had recovered from the shock and found herself burying her face into the crook of his neck. "I'm so sorry Sasuke!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, "I should've told you about me, about him, Sasuke I'm so sorry that I had ties with him! I'm so sorry that I didn't…"

Sasuke gawked. It was now his turn to be shocked and wonder. Why was she the one apologizing? She had no fault in this. It wasn't her fault she had ties with him, the bastard took her as a child. So his anger had made Sakura think that it was her fault? Well, he was harsh…Sasuke mentally beat himself up over this.

Sakura's embrace tightened, but Sasuke sat there unmoving. It wasn't that he didn't want to do anything. In fact, he so badly wanted to console her, but he didn't know how. He was caught in the moment and didn't know what to do. So he spoke.

"Sakura, don't apologize," He commanded softly. His voice held demand, need, but it also held gentleness, "It's not your fault…I-" he stopped himself rethinking his words before continuing, "I wasn't angry at you. Well I was, but not directly. I was just…I hated knowing that Itachi had something to do with you. And, you could guess, I'm still angry with him,"

"But you promised didn't you?" Sakura whispered with a raspy voice.

"And I also told you before that I could forgive him, but I'm still angry with him…" His large hands made their way towards the top of her head. He didn't know if what he was doing was right, but it just felt natural to smooth her hair at that moment. He pushed her gently so she was a few inches away from him. He stared into her eyes pleading that his message would get across to her, "I can't help it Sakura, he betrayed me, he ruined my _life_…I hate him with my entire being and I can't deny that I'm angry. I can't say that I'm not angry right now at him…at life…at…you,"

Sakura's eyes widened. She was about to pull away when he caught her wrist and pulled her into a tight embrace, "But…even if I'm angry with you, and even if I act or say I hate you…" His hand traveled to her head as he pushed her so her head was buried into the crook of his neck and his mouth on her ear, "I can't hate you Sakura, never. You're…important to me. I can't hate you…" He whispered the same words over and over again hoping it would embed itself into Sakura. _I can't hate you._

Sakura replayed those words into her head. It was no lie that she indeed felt something for the Uchiha boy. She loved him. It was true that years ago, she was all over him, maybe even obsessed with him. But now, her infatuation had grown into a stronger kind of love. And that love, was a bond that she held tightly onto. However, it was a different kind of love than what she had thought it would develop into. Sasuke was a dear friend, and somehow she felt that it ended there. There was no longing, no deep passion that flowed into her heart, not even when they were holding each other tightly. She just felt a comforting satisfaction. It sort of felt like she were hugging Naruto or Akane, and they were family to her.

Sakura didn't respond and Sasuke took it as a sign of satisfaction. For a while, they stayed in each other's embrace until Sakura finally gave in to her drowsiness and slumped into Sasuke's arms, asleep.

He lay back onto the tree trunk holding Sakura still. Once in a while, he would rake through her pink hair with his fingers. Throughout the night, though never letting his guard down, he watched her. The way her lips were parted, the way her chest moved up and down against him with ever inhale and exhale, the way her skin glowed in the moonlight, he watched her everything.

If indeed Sakura had felt a friendly brotherly love towards Sasuke, he thought otherwise. To him, Sakura being so close to him made his heart race for some reason unknown to him. And even if Sasuke felt hot all over, and his heart was beating irregularly, the proximity between them was satisfying.

The fire crackled. It had burned all the while of the encampment. The flames continued dancing throughout the night as if they were never going to last the night. In the morning, it was energy well spent. The fire died down near dawn, and with their last sway, the fire extinguished itself.

_Things are given to everyone in a spark. The spark turns into a flame and burns. The flames could choose to dance furiously against the breeze or sway with it. It could dance or sway, in the end it will eventually extinguish. However, some flames are remembered depending on what purpose they've served, and how they died down._

**XxxxxxX**

**-so…How was it? ^^**

**-Yeah if the last two scenes seemed different in terms of writing style, it's because I wrote it some time before. Actually, the last two scenes sparked the whole idea of this story. **

**-So, have I made up the artsy-ness from the previous chapter? There's a lot of allegory in it, hope you spot them and get the meaning. **

**-I feel Sorry for Sasuke-kun lol, it's unrequited love. Ah well, he deserves it == doesn't he? **

**-So Itachi's reason: "You were just a little girl," Was sparked from a song. Can you guess the song and the artist? =D**

**-So many brooding moments. Gomen . I seem to have a thing for internal brooding . **

**-After reading this chapter, I hope you understand (more or less) the title is named Tabula Rasa meaning Blank Slate It's a human nature theory. **

**-In the beginning, the flashbacks, were they an alright way to write what happened after she met the Akatsuki? Is Itachi's reasons confusing? If ANYTHING confuses you, just ask through feedback, and I'll answer them ASAP. =D**

**-Yeah the next chapter, I haven't started on it so it will take longer. . (School starts for me next week, shoot the school D) **

**-Madam Obscurum, "Who are you that is reflected through the mirror? Which among these is the real me?" **


	18. ExChapter: Love is a Bang!

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-Thanks everyone for your encouraging reviews =D The last chapter got me a lot of positive reviews w ILY you guys!**

**-Yeah you guys keep seeing Sasusaku, wait for the second major arc please. **

**-I had a booming amount of story alerts, favorites, and author alerts, thank you for taking an interest guys! =D But, I'd like it if you gave some feedback because I need to know if my story is satisfactory to you guys =3**

**-Kishimoto is unbelievable. O-o; The Naruto updates are killing my will to write. What the heck ==. **

**-Because Deidei-chan doesn't get that much light, here's to the Deisaku fans =D Hm, **

**XxxxxxX**

**Extra Chapter 3**

**~Love is a Bang~**

_I first met Sakura when I awoke that morning. She was like fresh air, a refreshing breeze. She was an instantaneous memory that lasted in my heart. _

"Ugh…" Deidara stirred in his sleep. Blond hair was sprawled over the pillow because his hair wasn't tied into a pony. Pushing his right hand against the bed, he tried to sit up, but he felt a sharp pain spread through his body. He winced, clutching his side where it hurt the most.

"Oh you're awake?" A soft feminine voice called from the door. Deidara turned towards the source of the voice and spied a girl. She was about his age, maybe a little younger. She had sparkling green eyes that gave Deidara a calming feeling. But that wasn't all. The girl had most conspicuous yet relaxing shade of pink for her hair color. He gapped at her, who in the world had pink hair? Was it her natural hair color?

The pink haired girl cocked her head to the side because the blond had not responded and was just staring at her, "Er…um…so…do you know where you are?" Cautiously, she approached him.

Deidara noticed her drawing closer. He raised one arm in front of him as if to defend himself and the other dug into his side. He had forgotten that he didn't have his pouch, much to his dismay. He uttered a curse before he heard soft giggles.

The girl had her fingers pressed against her lips to stifle her giggle, "I'm…sorry…" She said between her laughter, "Don't worry. I won't harm you."

"And how do I know that, yeah?"

"Oh so you talk?"

"Of course I talk, yeah!"

The pinkette's cherry pink lips tugged into a dazzling smile, but it only lasted for a second, "Well, I see you're well. Leader Pain otou sama would want to talk to you later. You can explore a bit in the mean time. Ah but," In her hand lay a bandage that was rolled up, "We should change your bandages."

He glanced downwards to notice that he was, indeed, covered with bandages. But, his bandages were stained red with his own blood. He was checking his wounds out so much that he had not noticed that the pink haired girl had walked over to his side and sat down the edge of the bed. Seeing the sudden proximity of pink, he backed up onto the wall.

"Geez, you're so tense," The girl had her brow raised in question to his reactions, "I won't kill you. Even if I wanted to, I can't."

"What do you mean, yeah?"

"I'm not good enough," Deidara felt his pride inflate with her words. And this girl had methods of buttering him up, but was she doing it intentionally just to earn his trust? It was quite suspicious.

"Oh you're just saying that, yeah."

"Erm…do you always say yeah?" Small hands made their way to the knot that held his bandages. Carefully, she slowly unraveled the pieces of fabric. The wounds had dried so it was easy to pull them off without ripping any skin.

Deidara watched the girl work away his bandages. Somehow, even if he had his own personal doubts, he felt a certain aura around the girl. It felt as if she were giving a 'trust-me-I-won't-hurt-you' aura. He had always trusted his instincts, so this time he'd do it again. He let his guard down and allowed a little space of trust for the girl, "Uh yeah, yeah."

A small chuckle erupted from the girl's lips, "That's very funny, _yeah_."

"Oi, that's my trademark, yeah. No one can copy it, un." He lifted himself, so Sakura could replace the bandages across his torso.

Again, another chuckle was heard from the green-eyed girl, "By the way, I'm Sakura." She finished replacing the bandages by knotting it somewhere near his back.

The blond let his eyes linger on her for a while before a deep sigh was let out. A cheeky defeated smirk plastered itself onto his face, "I'm Deidara, yeah." His blue eyes took in everything about the girl. Her soothing pink hair color, her sparkling green eyes, her dazzling smile—everything. Her image was exactly like her name: Sakura meaning Cherry Blossoms.

It fit her so much that he felt that it was destiny that she was named that way. She was, to him, like a fresh spring morning like that single moment when you open your windows for the first time in spring and feel the breeze rush past you. To him, Sakura was like that. And it made him feel a deep warmth bubble inside of him.

"Deidara…nee chan…" The girl said it as if she were trying something out like some foreign word that she was saying for the first time.

"Nee chan?" Deidara felt his jaw drop. _Nee chan? _She had thought he was a girl?

The pink haired girl nodded, "Un, I'm so happy. Besides me and Konan okaa san, there's finally another girl in the house!"

Deidara was at a loss for words. Wasn't it obvious that he was a guy? He was flat as a board for crying out loud! He didn't have breasts! But then again, at his age it wasn't unusual for girls to be flat-chested. He felt a dark aura seep through him out of depression.

"Eh? Deidara nee chan?"

Deidara was about to say something along the lines of 'I'm not a girl!' when the door creaked open. A towering blue-skinned man with teeth that looked like it belonged to a shark popped in. His had a sword bandaged up and was sitting on his shoulder, "Oi, squirt-neko, take that person to leader sama. He says he wants to talk to him,"

The girl gave a small puff of the cheeks before taking Deidara's hand. Deidara felt himself blush at the feel of her fingertips against his, "C'mon Deidara nee chan!"

"nee chan?" Kisame gawked at the girl, "Sakura, you know she's a—" But he was cut off when Sakura and Deidara whizzed past him. Kisame was left standing on the doorway scratching his head in confusion.

They made it down the halls towards a huge door, "Just go here and you'll see Leader Pain otou sama," She had huge grin on her face. And, slightly fearing what was beyond the door, Deidara pushed the doors open and entered in the room.

**XxxxxxX**

_ Months ago, Sakura had the striking revelation of knowing that I was a guy and not a girl. It happened to be an embarrassing memory wherein she requested I give her a bath and I strongly refused. She had wondered why, and was later shocked by Kisame when he said I was a guy. Although I'm glad that Sakura now considered me a guy, though she still calls me with a 'chan' honorific. After that, I had seen less and less of my pink haired spring breeze because I had been sent on various missions._

_The next time I saw the pink haired girl was when I was out training. I had been introduced to my partner, Sasori the puppet master, and we were working on some combinations—though I wasn't the least happy about it. _

"Oy brat, you can't just keep bombing stuff up!" Sasori was sitting on a recliner. In his hands was an unfinished puppet arm that he was working on. It came as a shock to the blond when Sasori had first stepped out of his puppet to do some repairs, but now he had gotten used to it.

"Shut up, yeah! I know what I'm doing, yeah!" Deidara retorted to the Suna redhead.

"Brat, show some respect for a greater artist." Bored gray eyes fixed themselves onto the unfinished puppet arm.

"Art? That isn't art!" He regarded himself as an artist. Deidara had always believed in his explosives as a form of great art. He was relieved that his partner was also an art fanatic, though their ideologies differed greatly. While Deidara had thought Art was something instantaneous, Sasori thought Art was something eternal like his puppets.

"How would you know? Art is something that lasts."

"Art isn't something that lasts, un" He nodded proudly to himself, "It's something that happens once in a moment! Art is a bang, yeah!"

Sasori glared at the blond with half lidded gray eyes. The silence he was giving Deidara was evidence that he was strongly disagreeing with him.

However, that sustained silence was broken when a certain pink haired girl came waltzing onto the porch, "Ne, Sasori nii sama, Deidara nii chan! Leader sama is calling for you!"

Deidara felt time stop when Sakura had come in with her brilliant smile. It was her smile that attracted him—that instantaneous moment when her lips would curl and sparkles would seem to emerge out of nowhere to amplify the effect.

"Sa-Sakura chan, yeah!" Deidara had a faint blush on his cheeks as he waved at the pink haired girl. Recently, he had learned that she was a few years younger than him. But, she wasn't so young as to be out of his reach. She was a good 2-3 years younger than him and knowing that brought his hopes entirely. Since they had met on that day, he had the sudden urge to monopolize the girl. _Love is a Bang!_ He often repeated in his head when he thought of the girl. But as he half-skipped towards the porch, he realized that his bliss was as instantaneous as his Art.

Deidara found himself coming to a halt when a certain raven-haired man also stepped onto the porch. Deidara threw an accusing finger at him, "AH! It's you, yeah!" He recognized this man as the guy who battled him and defeated him before. He was the reason he got mixed in into the Akatsuki business. He had wondered if he were really a member because from the time he got into the organization, he had not seen him. Though, he would hear bits and pieces about him. If he remembered correctly, his name was Uchiha Itachi from Konoha.

Itachi glanced at the blond, giving a curt nod in the process. Dark gray eyes left the blond and fell onto a blur of pink.

Deidara felt his heart drop and shatter to a million pieces when Sakura gave the most unique and dazzling smile of all and directed it at the Sharingan user.

Sakura, as soon as she spied Itachi, made a dash for him and gave him a huge heart-warming hug, "Itachi nii san! I missed you so much!"

Itachi gave her a blank stare as a hand made its way to pat her head. When Sakura felt his huge hand gently tap her head, a small blush heated her cheeks into a light shade of pink. Once more, she gave him a smile Deidara had not seen before and it made him inwardly cringe.

Deidara had his hands clenched into a tight fist. Anger snaked through him as his teeth grinded with one another. His anger did not fade when Itachi and Sakura made their way into the house. He had always, _always_ hated the Uchiha because he had defeated Deidara. And now that he seemed to have some sort of special connection with his Sakura, it made him hate it more.

A cold, depressing wind passed through Sasori and Deidara.

"Give it up," Sasori's gray eyes and words pierced through Deidara.

"What, yeah?"

"It's obvious isn't it? Besides, the Akatsuki do not have room for strange emotions," Sasori, finally screwing in the last bolt, stood and walked into the house.

Deidara had never felt so cold in his entire life. He felt as if the life in him had been sucked out. He crouched down onto the barren earth and held his head, "Love is a bang…and it hurts…" He sighed before glancing at the sky. After a second of momentary silence, he dug his hand into his pouch and smirked, "You see this Itachi! I'm going to blast you away and then Sakura will be mine! YEAH!"

However, as Deidara was concocting a plan to steal Sakura's heart away, Sakura was curled onto Itachi's lap and snuggling into his chest inside their room. "Itachi nii san…?"

"Hn?"

"I love you so much!"

"Hn,"

Sakura wrapped her arms around his chest and snuggled more onto Itachi.

**XxxxxxX**

**-wahahaha, do I enjoy torturing characters? Yes I do .**

**-So there you have it, sorry that it's not crack-ish. Just wanted to shine some light on Deidara. Er I sort of do feel sorry for him though…nah. xD **

**-Oh I just had a brilliant story idea w I think I'll do it before I do my other plots w**

**-Madam Obscurum, "Love is a Bang!" (xD) **


	19. Chapter 15: Pandora's Box

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I want to own Itachi lol**

**-I am so sorry for the late update! D: TT_TT It's all the school's fault! They've bombarded us with so many home works, requirements and etc. Plus, there's my school newspaper and orchestra AND college entrance exams TT_TT; It's hell I tell you! xD **

**-OMG initial climax of the story =O **

**-Reader713: Actually, I was planning to do that somewhere later within the story . xD **

**-*Comes out from hiding since the extra chapter* I'm sorry T.T But, you guys should've expected that I'd put an extra chapter after every 4 chapters Hides again XD **

**-Speaking of the extra chapter, the way Sakura found out Deidara was a guy is different in my previous chapter, right? Er, I edited the previous chapter (chapter 4 I think) to fit the previous chapter. **

**-****I'd like to take my time and advertise Winter Wonderland, Koori no Sakura and Beast and the Beauty. :D**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 15**

**~Pandora's Box~**

Naruto awoke to the bright sunlight. He sat up and scratched the corner of his eyes with a yawn. Naruto was feeling groggy. He glanced left and right taking in the scenery. It was a forest, _Oh right, we're on a mission…_, the trees were tall and the ground beneath was soft. To his left was Kakashi who had his exposed eye shut—probably sleeping still. And to his left were Sakura and Sasuke hugging each other in their sleep.

….

…

…

"…!" Naruto's jaw dropped as he did a double take. He rubbed his eyes and pinched himself because what he was seeing couldn't be real. He backed away from the two and ended up hitting Kakashi.

Kakashi was awakened by a reeling blond, "Naruto?"

The blond looked up with a horrified expression on his face.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?"

"Ka-Kakashi sensei!" Naruto began clinging to the gray haired man who pulled his arm away.

"I'm honored Naruto, but I'm not interested in your gender—"

"It's not that!" Naruto had the urge to hit his former teacher, but the matter at hand was more serious. He pointed a hand towards the two sleeping figures, "Look Sensei! Am I the only one seeing this?"

Kakashi turned a lazy eye towards the direction Naruto was pointing and found that eye widening in the same shock as Naruto, "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He motioned Naruto to get up as he did, and slowly inched cautiously towards the two.

Sensing some sort of presence drawing closer, Sasuke awoke. He saw Sakura comfortably tucked inside his arms and let out a small smile. The events of the previous night replayed in his head. And he was so caught up in his thoughts that he had for a split second forgotten about the presences that awoke him.

Naruto had successfully snuck behind Sasuke. He noticed Sasuke stir in his sleep and quickly changed direction from a frontal sneaking to one from behind. Closer and closer, Naruto stealthily crept up behind Sasuke, but found it unusual that Sasuke hadn't noticed him.

Sasuke moved an arm because the pinkette had snuggled into his arm thinking it was a pillow. Flustered and blushing, Sasuke unconsciously pulled it away. However, that nervousness pumping through Sasuke only gave Naruto enough momentum.

Naruto popped his head behind Sasuke and had his chin on Sasuke's side, "Te-me…" he said in a taunting voice.

Sasuke felt his heart leap as he drew away from Naruto. He gave a sound that was somewhere between a yell and a groan. He reeled away from the blond, but this sudden jerking movement awoke the kunoichi beside him.

Sakura felt a sudden movement next to her. Her eyes fluttered open with a groan and noticed a strong arm draped across her shoulder and side. For a moment, she was at a loss for words, for she didn't know what was going on. Eventually, bits and pieces of the previous night returned to her. She glanced up to see an angry Sasuke. His face wasn't turned to her; instead, it was turned towards something behind him. "Mm…Sasuke kun?"

Sasuke directed his attention towards the green-eyed girl, "Sa-Sakura!" Sakura's green eyes were looking into his dark orbs and her cherry pink lips were glittering in the sunlight.

Sasuke felt himself go hot over the way she looked and reeled back.

The pink haired kunoichi sat up and rubbed her eye, "What's wrong?"

Sasuke didn't reply. He had his head turned away, trying to avoid seeing Sakura's freshened face.

Naruto, who had a wide cheeky grin on, leaned close to Sasuke, "Oh, did I disturb something, teme?" He gave a loud laugh, and received a deep growl from Sasuke.

"DOBE!" Sasuke yelled at the blond. He didn't know what to do. He was embarrassed, and disappointed at the same time because the blond _had _interrupted something.

"You guys are so loud in the morning…" Sakura's eyes were half-lidded; she was still groggy. She sat in an almost traditional Japanese way of sitting except it was more sluggish, she did not sit on her legs and her legs were more apart.

"Sakura chan!" Naruto bounced his way and leaned close to Sakura, "You and Sasuke slept together?"

Sasuke felt a deep blush tint his cheeks. Again, he turned away to hide his embarrassment. Sakura, on the other hand, had landed a punch at Naruto, "Don't go saying things that would make people take it the wrong way!"

Naruto was crouching with his hands on the spot where Sakura had hit him. And in spite of the stinging pain on his head, he managed to give Sakura a sheepish chuckle, "But you did, didn't you? Does that mean that you and Teme are together now?"

That question earned Naruto another bump on his head, "Just because we hugged in our sleep, it doesn't mean we're _together_. Sasuke was just comforting me! Isn't that right, Sasuke kun?" Her head whipped around to a disgruntled Sasuke.

Sasuke had really, _really_, so badly wanted to disagree. But, as the way things were, he had no choice but to agree, "Aa…"

"You see!" Sakura huffed. While she was scolding the wincing Naruto, her hands had made their way to her waist.

"Well, let's stop this and get ready to move then?" Kakashi leaned forward towards the three with a big wide grin behind his mask. He, too, had enjoyed the scene played in front of him. Based on Sasuke and Sakura's reactions towards Naruto, Kakashi felt a pang of sympathy for the Uchiha. He snickered to himself. The three turned towards him, but he brushed them off.

"Hmmm.I bet Kakashi sensei's having weird thoughts again…" Naruto hinted with squinted eyes and a pout that suggested he was suspicious.

Sakura nodded, her green eyes on the teacher, "Agree." Her eyes followed her teacher as he began packing things away and made sure they left no tracks behind. She was pondering on what Kakashi was so giddy about, but was disrupted by a deep voice that was all too familiar with her.

"Uh Sakura…" Sasuke's eyes were trying hard to keep calm and stoic, but the embarrassment in the pit of his stomach showed on his cheeks because he was blushing a little. "Can I talk to you?"

Naruto poked his head in, "Oi Teme, what do you wanna say to Sakura chan, huh?" He had a mischievous smile on his lips as he nudged Sasuke with his elbow.

"Dobe, stay out of his." Sasuke shoved Naruto's face away because the more Naruto teased him, the more the blood in his body boiled. Though, it wasn't out of anger, rather it was out of his humiliation.

"Er, sure," Sakura replied after gawking at Naruto and Sasuke. Her green eyes blinked because she had no idea what was going on, but if it were a talk then everything would turn out fine…right?

"Let's get going!" Kakashi called on all of them, a finger beckoning them to come.

"Ugh just a moment Kakashi sensei!" Sakura chirped before she and Sasuke walked off somewhere.

Kakashi and Naruto, stunned, stood there. "And what're those two up to?" Kakashi said taking out his pocket book. They thought about sneaking somewhere to eavesdrop, but something about Sasuke's aura told them not to come close.

**XxxxxxX**

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Sakura stood in front of Sasuke. They were surrounded by a thick mass of trees and it was hard for anyone to see them perfectly. Only a few bits of sunlight managed to sprinkle down on their skin.

"Um…" Sasuke fidgeted slightly, and it was unusual for him to do so. His gaze avoided Sakura's and a small blush crept onto his cheeks.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" Sakura raised a brow at him for his unusual behavior.

"Aa," after one big gulp, he managed to make eye contact with the pinkette, "Sakura, you should know," a sudden burst of confidence came from Sasuke as his voice and body was once more composed, "That whatever happens, I'll protect you…"

Sakura blinked, starring wide-eyed at the Uchiha. The situation was a little awkward and she didn't know what to reply. She gave a nervous chuckle instead, "And…I will protect you too, Sasuke. That's what friends do, ne?"

Sasuke inwardly cringed at the word 'friend'. He took several steps to close the distance between them. His hand made its way so her chin was gripped by two fingers, "You don't understand…" Charcoal eyes gazed deeply into emerald, "Sakura…I—" He cut himself off as if he were unsure about what he was going to say. Did he mean what he was about to say? Would he be willing to throw everything away just for her? For a minute, he searched his heart to find the answer. And, surprisingly unlike him, his heart told him that it was okay. It was okay to throw away years of revenge, hate and anger and look into the light. Because, indeed, life wasn't a who-had-the-worst-childhood-sob-story-soap-opera; it's given to everyone once and one shouldn't waste it. It was Sakura who made him realize this.

He felt relief to the point that he had never felt any lighter. His heart no longer weighed with years of pent up anger and rage. In all his years of living, never once had he ever felt so free and so sure. A ghost of a smile curled onto his lips as he held Sakura's chin, "Sakura…I love you…"

Sakura felt as if time had stopped. Her heart had done such a long pause that she thought she were no longer alive. Years ago, her old self would have taken this opportunity in a heart beat. At that moment, she would've blushed and said bashfully, 'Sasuke I love you too!'. But, why was it that her heart had _only _stopped? Wasn't her heart supposed to beat faster after it stopped? She let the words sink in, '_Sakura, I love you' _Oh how long had she waited for those words to come from his mouth. She imagined him several times confessing to her, and she would reply, then they'd kiss. But why was it, now he had said those long awaited words, that Sakura could find no words to say?

It took several moments for Sakura to regain her composure. She expected her heart to race after she managed to recover from the shock, but her heart had remained steady. Even after constantly repeating his words in her head, and she knowing what words to say, she found that she felt…absolutely…nothing.

Sasuke felt his arm drop. He gave a sigh of relief because his body had never felt so tired, and so relieved. He had finally said those simple words that made such a big difference. He had wanted to tell Sakura that for some time now. And, dear kami was he glad that it was finally out. Now, he just needed to hear Sakura's 'yes, I love you too,' then they could live happily forever—no anger, no hate, no sadness, just Sakura and he in love. (Though he inwardly cringed with the word 'love'. He still couldn't take its mushiness) However, he let his pride get the better of him.

Sakura's had a downcast look on her face, "Sasuke…"

Sasuke's eyes widened, why did she look so sad? Shouldn't she have been happy to hear him confess? Isn't that what she wanted?

"I…" Sakura's eyes sunk into his. They bored right through him and into his soul, but it wasn't an angry look, rather, it was apologetic, "Can you give me some time to answer you?" A crooked smile placed itself on her face.

Sasuke felt crushed. She needed time to think about what to answer? Everything happening was so ironic. If he weren't in so much disbelief, he would've laughed at the irony of life. Years ago, it was she who declared her love and he walked away. Now, it was the opposite, minus her walking out. "Aa…" through his hurting chest, he had only managed to say that. He had a pained expression on her face. And, as Sakura turned to walk towards where Kakashi and Naruto were, he dare not raise his eyes to her. He kept them hidden hoping that she wouldn't see the pained expression on his face.

He felt as if he were rejected, but why did it feel like so? She didn't say 'no'. She said that she would think about it. However, thinking about it meant that she was unsure. What was he scared of? She was probably unsure because Sasuke was once a missing nin, right? If that was the case, he could've proven easily that he meant everything. Then why was he feeling so dejected? Maybe because deep down, in the pit of his stomach, he had a bad gut feeling about what her real answer would be once she 'thought about it'.

**XxxxxxX**

"Oh Sakura chan!" Naruto waved ecstatically at Sakura, "We're going!"

Sakura managed to give a half-hearted smile as she walked towards her sensei and teammate.

After a few minutes, Sasuke emerged from the bushes as well. He had his eyes lowered to the ground to avoid eye contact with anyone.

With a poof of dust, all four resumed their travel to the Akatsuki base. A couple of hours had passed and they were halfway towards Rain. Kakashi was a good distance ahead of the three teammates. Naruto and Sasuke dashed in front and behind of Sakura.

For those two hours that passed, not one of them spoke. Naruto couldn't speak because he felt a tense atmosphere between the two. He had wondered what happened between them because the two had not spoken to each other since they 'talked'.

"Oi, you three, be careful," Kakashi spoke from up the line, "Gai sent me a transmission. His team bumped into some bandits who murdered half a village. He said the others headed in our direction so keep alert."

"Osu," Naruto said with a huge grin.

Sakura had twitched when Kakashi said 'murdered half a village'. She was so reminded of what her nii sans did that she felt cold all over. Her thoughts traveled to those people who lost their loved ones. In all those massacres, she wondered how her nii sans felt as they hacked and slashed away people. The parents who lost their children, and dear kami those children, barely old enough to fend for themselves, who lost their parents. She could relate with them, those children, because she too lost her parents at an age where it was hard to fend for herself. "Poor children…." She uttered out.

Sasuke and Naruto perked at her words. But, between the two, it was Naruto who talked, "Did you say something, Sakura chan?"

"Ah? Ah yeah…" Sakura didn't know that she spoke in a voice loud enough for them to hear, "It's just…" She remembered the small child in the Cloud country who was crying over her father, "I just…I mean those poor people who lost people they loved…"

Sasuke, who had chosen to remain silent, found the will to speak, "To lose someone precious to you…it hurts."

His tone was deep and remorseful to the point that Sakura inwardly trembled. She remembered the day she met Itachi. It was the day both she and Sasuke lost their parents. It was such a wonder, though, how she met the one person who killed the entire Uchiha clan. Really, life was so ironic.

"Oi Sasuke…" Naruto too had a remorseful tone in his voice, "remember when we fought before? At the Valley of the end?"

"hn,"

"You said that I wouldn't understand…because I never had anyone to begin with," Naruto refused to turn his back and see Sasuke.

"What are you trying to say?" Sasuke fixed his crimson eyes, because he was the rear guard, on Naruto.

Sakura remained silent, listening to the exchange between Naruto and Sasuke. She had never heard of their battle or what happened in it. But, she tried to make out as much as she could.

"I think…I know how it feels like…to lose someone precious—to lose a father." Naruto chuckled. It was something he did to seem as if he were alright. With his back turned to Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto let out tears on his eyes. He remembered his father-like figure who he had recently lost: Jiraiya. He had gone off to look for the Akatsuki base and didn't return. They never found out where he went. But, they knew he was dead because he sent a messenger frog to the village. Because of what Naruto heard from the message, he found all the more reason to hate the Akatsuki. Jiraiya's messenger frog told Naruto that his master had fought the Akatsuki and died.

"Naruto…" Sakura knew that he was talking about Jiraiya. Though, Sakura guessed that Sasuke didn't know what Naruto was talking about because Sasuke returned after Jiraiya left. And since he became a missing nin, Sasuke had not known who Jiraiya san was.

"I understand, Sasuke. What it feels…to want revenge."

Sasuke was stunned. So, Naruto knew how it felt like to have that rage burning inside of him.

Sakura didn't know what to do. Could Naruto, learning what revenge felt like, ease Sasuke's rage? Or would it have an opposite effect and make Sasuke rekindle the flames of revenge? Oh how she badly wanted to hug—and then punch—the two boys tightly. She wanted to hold them close like children and tell them everything was okay.

"But…" Sasuke spoke with a deep gentleness and understanding, "Once you achieve revenge…you'll have nothing," His eyes were sullen, but his face showed determination. Sasuke was indeed a changed man. "Right…Sakura?"

Sakura's lips tugged into a small smile, "Un!"

Naruto tilted his head so the corner of his lips showed. His lips were pulled into a big and wide grin, "Big words coming from you, Teme!" A laugh that bursted from Naruto was followed by giggles from Sakura and a cheerful grunt from Sasuke.

Kakashi, from the front, pretended not to hear anything from his former students. When he heard them laugh, he too stretched his lips into a smile that was muffled by his mask. _My have they all grown._

A screeching noise pierced through his headset, "Kaka—tsh, are…you…tsh…there…?" It was a radio transmission and the voice belonged to Asuma's. Kakashi pressed his headset onto his ear to better understand, "Yo, Asuma, bad transmission?"

"Aa, there I think we got better signal," Asuma said from across the radio. It was obvious that he had a cigarette in his mouth though, "Where are you guys?"

"Ehhh…" Kakashi glanced around to survey his surroundings, "We'll be in Rain in about half an hour or so. You guys?"

"We're close as well. Gai and Kurenai are just waiting for our commands. Nothing happened on their way there. Well, except for Gai. They ran into some bandit trouble." Asuma blew smoke from his mouth, which Kakashi could hear from the other end.

"Aa, we heard," The gray haired former anbu let out a small chuckle before bidding goodbye to Asuma, "See you there then…"

**XxxxxxX**

Huge droplets of water dropped from the skies. The ground was soaked and the water level was high enough to sink a millimeter of one's shoe into it. The sky was darker than any other sky they'd ever seen. The rain splashed hard on the wet pavement. Several figures were grouped together and were being interrogated by the several Amegakure people.

"I don't care if it's important. No one can meet Leader sama!" A rain shinobi yelled at Asume who headed the entire group. The Konoha shinobi regrouped at the gates and had passed the different factions of the rain country. True enough, it was in deep chaos. The Rain country was divided into two: Those with Pain and those against him. It was fairly easy to get passed those who were against him. But, those who sided with him were a different matter. Being sided with Pain, they oversaw the safety of his leader. Asuma gritted the cigarette in his mouth. He detested those Ame shinobi who had slashes through their ninja headband.

Sakura stood next to him, arguing alongside him. The more the shinobi argued, the more the vein in her head throbbed. She got angrier and angrier by the second and was tempted to slam them to oblivion. "PLEASE just tell him it's Sakura! He'll take me in there! I used to live here!" She pleaded desperately.

"Lived here before or civilian before, it doesn't matter! You're with the leaf now!" This one was the feistiest of all the guards. He was probably new seeing that he didn't recognize Sakura. As a child, she had spent some time with the guards, bringing them food, water and medicine when needed.

"Sakura sama?" A harsh deep voice called from afar. It was an Ame shinobi. He seemed older and more superior than the others because, as he approached the gate, they saluted.

"AH! Mita san!" Sakura perked up and gave him a big grin. Years ago, he had been one of the lower ranked shinobi. She couldn't forget him because he had been one of those who were unwilling to receive help from her though, eventually, he gave in. Since then, they had gotten closer. As a shinobi, he was really skilled—though not as skilled as her nii sans. So, she wasn't surprised that he had easily risen in rank.

"So the rumors were true!" He gave a snort, walking towards the pinkette. He smirked and patted her head, "Glad to know you're alive Sakura san,"

"Mi-mita taichou—" The other rain shinobi were hushed by a silencing hand.

"Nice to see you too, but Mita san I need to see Pain otou sama. I've got to talk to him!"

Mita's smirk faded away and a grave look took its place, "You can't see Leader sama…"

"But—"

"…yet." A big playful grin plastered onto his face, "Come, you all shall stay in my place whils't I alert leader sama of your presence. I'm sure," he glanced at her companions, and not happily at that, "he'd like to see you despite your present company…" For a split second, the Konoha shinobi thought he had given them a glare. But, it was possible seeing as the Rain country wasn't in good terms with _any _shinobi nation, "Follow me." Mita motioned Sakura and company towards the building.

"Can we trust him?" Kurenai whispered to Asuma. She had her guard completely up just like the others.

"I don't. But, Sakura does. She's been here so this is our best bet." Asuma whispered back. In his anger with the other rain shinobi, he had stomped down his cigarette.

**XxxxxxX**

Several figures were squished in a small room. They sat on the Tatami mats that lay below them and awaited for their host, "So…" Gai, trying to seem friendly, asked Mita san, "You live alone?"

"No. My wife is upstairs. She'll be down in a little while." Mita sat next to Sakura, chatting and catching up on the good ol' times while he tried as much as he could to avoid the presence of the other people.

"Wife? You mean Miyuki san?" Sakura teased, nudging him a little with her elbow.

A light shade of pink tinged Mita's cheeks, "Eh well," A cough to clear the throat, "Yes"

"Uwa! I'm so happy! Congratulations!" Sakura beamed a smile at him before that smile grew bigger when a certain Miyuki san came dashing down the stairs.

Miyuki was dressed in a normal Japanese civilian housewife outfit. "Sakura sama!" She embraced Sakura into a tight bear hug, "I'm so glad!" She pulled away and sat back down across Sakura, "We mourned for you for many years, and thank the heavens that it was all for nothing…I'm so glad you're alive, Sakura sama!"

"Ne, Miyuki san, you can just call me Sakura chan. You too Mita san," Sakura was blushing from embarrassment. It had always been 'Sakura sama this' and 'Sakura sama that'. She wasn't a god-like figure like Pain otou sama.

"Sakura," Kakashi cut in much to Mita's annoyance, "It's the same thing with you calling me sensei all the time,"

"Eh? But that's different Kakashi sensei,"

"I'm not your sensei anymore,"

"But, I'm so used to it,"

"That's exactly what I mean…" A wide grin was hidden behind his mask.

Sakura heaved a sigh before once more turning her attention towards the couple. "Fine…I give up, but I'd like it better if you can call me –chan instead of –sama. It's too honorable…I don't deserve it." She lowered her head as if falling into a state of depression, of course this was just an act.

"Ah Sakura sama don't be like that! It's just, you really are like Leader sama's daughter, so of course we treat you with the same respect." They grinned at Sakura who grinned back in return.

"By the way, I'll get tea for you and your friends," Miyuki stood bowing towards the Konoha shinobi who were utterly surprised at this act of kindness because, since they got into Amegakure, they had received none.

"Miyuki, they're from Konoha." Mita pointed out, refusing to look them in the eye.

Miyuki lifted her head to see the Konoha ninja headbands, "Ah I see…But all of you are close friends with Sakura sama, ne?"

"That's right!" Naruto aggressively said because he was tired of being treated like 'Konoha-filth'. What happened in the past was long gone. Or was it so grave that they hated Konoha that much?

"Well then, they're more than welcome to stay," She grinned warmly at the Konoha shinobi.

"But—"

"They are Sakura sama's friends, anata, thus they are our friends too." With that, Mita gave up and settled down. Seeing her husband's retreat, Miyuki gave a curt nod before heading to the kitchen.

Sakura stood, "Ah Miyuki san, let me help!" and chased after Miyuki into the kitchen leaving the four Konoha teams and Mita alone in the room.

"So…" They were back to the same situation they were in before Miyuki came down with the exception of Sakura. Gai, again, was trying to be friendly, "…You really don't like us, do you?"

Mita glanced at Gai before giving a firm nod, "Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of reasons to hate Konoha," The shinobi from the said village tensed, some were angered, "…but, as my wife said, Sakura sama's friends are our friends as well." A hand came behind his head to rub it in embarrassment, "And you did take care of her over the past few years so…we owe you this at least." He smiled, and it was a genuine one.

The heavy and tense air that shrouded the room earlier had dissipated and a lighter, more pleasant one took its place. Naruto, being more relieved than ever, stood and spoke, "Ne, Ne, Oji san, did you know Sakura chan when she was young?"

For a moment, Mita san let his head hang low before a small smile appeared. His head began reeling with memories of Sakura's childhood and nostalgia coursed through his veins, "Yes, I did. She was...well, she acts like she is now: sweet and well-mannered. Though, now, she seems a lot tougher, and she has an air of maturity around her. Back then, she was kawaii and bubbly," A small chuckle erupted from his lips.

"How did you meet forehead?" Ino too had joined in the conversation and scooted on closer. Ten ten and Hinata also inched closer, but stayed a few inches away from Ino.

Mita had a brow raised towards Ino's nickname for their Sakura sama, "Er well, back then I was a new recruit for Leader sama's guards. I met her when I was injured because she used to always come down to the guards to tend to our wounds and give us food and water when needed. She really cared about people. She always tried healing our wounds and trying to do something to help out."

"Heh, it sounds just like Sakura san," Lee too came closer and joined the enthusiastic group of shinobi.

"But isn't it weird? I mean Sakura was with the Akatsuki. Was it alright for her to show kindness?" Kiba, somehow, had managed to squish Akamaru and himself next to Naruto.

"Well, they never minded. It was odd at first, but I guess they just let her do what she pleased as long as it didn't endanger her." Mita's eyes had wandered just as his thoughts had wandered into his own memories.

"So they cared about Haruno san?" Neji, curious about the situation, sat next to Lee and Ten ten. "Or was she going to be used for something, that's why they kept her?"

"Oh no," Mita had his arms raised in defiance to Neji's words, "Sakura sama, and I mean no harm in what I say, was useless. I mean even a shinobi with my skill could tell that she would prove of no use to them. She wasn't really skilled nor did she have some special jutsu. At first, everyone, including myself, was skeptical about the rumors going around that the leader had taken in a small girl. Though later on, we figured out why he kept her,"

By that time, Shino, Chouji and Shikamaru had already completed the row of eager Shinobi. They all sat there listening and questioning Mita. Maybe he was the key to their questions. Maybe he could clear up the clouds that fluttered in their heads. "Why did they keep her, then?" Shikamaru had followed up.

Mita's lips curled into a full-pledged smile, "Because Sakura sama was like a ray of light in our darkened nation."

Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows. _Again, _because he had witnessed first hand Itachi's words,_ they say Sakura was something great. _

Mita continued on with eyes as if he were looking at something very distant and far, "The changes she brought upon us was most evident with our leaders, the Akatsuki. Before Sakura sama came, there was nothing here but dark clouds and our tears falling from the sky. With the Akatsuki, all they had in their heads were murder, killing, money, and fulfilling their goals."

"Goals?" Neji inquired. Their former teachers also nodded their heads because they too were curious about their goals.

"Well, their goals isn't a big secret so I suppose it's alright to tell you all. Their goals are in concern to…World domination."

"Seriously?" Ten ten had a cynical look on her face. They sounded like something out of a Saturday cartoon or something like that.

"Yes, they plan to create this world anew. Though, even me being a subordinate, I am a little opposed to it." Mita had downcast eyes because even he was fearful of what exactly their leader meant by creating a new world. 'To get rid of the pain', he once overheard from leader.

"The Akatsuki have existed for years, and only now they move?" Kurenai sat next to Asuma.

"Yes. They were triggered to put their plan in action at a faster pace."

"Why?"

"Well, before I answer that, I shall tell you all about Sakura sama and her stay with the Akatsuki." His fingers entangled with one another, and his elbows rested on the traditional tea table. "Sakura sama arrived here with Itachi sama one morning. At that time, I was already a shinobi serving Leader sama. Everyone was curious about Itachi sama's intentions, but no one bothered to ask. He was a weird member. He always came and went into the organization in such a manner that you didn't know if he were really a member. He was young, thirteen or fourteen at least, so I figured he was just a messenger boy until…" A long pause followed after.

Sasuke, eager to know about his brother, pressed on, "Until?"

Mita gave Sasuke a questioning look. It wasn't because of his urgency to know things, but the fact that he looked a lot like Itachi sama. Mita raised a brow at him. It was a fact that Itachi sama was from Konoha, but didn't he wipe out the entire Uchiha clan? He placed his questions at the back of his head. Later, he would ask, but now he would talk, "Until I saw him sparring with Kisame sama. Indeed, Itachi sama was very skilled—even now. Later, through an initiation ceremony, Leader sama told us that Itachi sama was a part of the Akatsuki. Sakura sama however, was nowhere to be found. She was only a rumor to us and not one of us had ever seen the girl."

Everyone in the room, save for Mita, was silent. They were leaning towards Mita, taking in all the information that he was relaying.

"That was until one morning when a certain pink haired girl came waltzing into the mercenary building. She had gotten lost, and at first, we thought she was a civilian. We decided to watch over her for a while because we couldn't leave the building to look for her parents. She was an adorable girl. The moment she saw the wounded, she began treating their wounds. She spent a few hours with us, playing, chatting and tending to our needs though we warned her that it was dangerous to aid us. Of course, when it came to health, Sakura sama was stubborn to leave us to our doom." Several chuckles echoed with Mita's chuckles. The Konoha shinobi, relating with Sakura's stubbornness when it came to medicine, had laughed too.

Mita continued as soon as his chuckle had finished "Later, Itachi sama came into the mercenary looking for Sakura sama. We were all equally shocked to know that Sakura sama was the small girl that the Akatsuki took in. But what shocked us more was Itachi sama lowering his head to apologize to us. It was something we never expected from one of our superiors. After that, Itachi sama and Sakura sama left. The next day and the days following that, Sakura sama would often come by to check up on us. We, despite being stiff ninja, began having a soft side for the girl. Me, especially, because she helped me court Miyuki, my wife now." A small blush of embarrassment crept onto his cheeks, "Sakura sama became an object of relief to us. She was like something to make us forget the hard times we were having. And I suppose it was the same for Leader sama and the Akatsuki."

"But isn't it that you thought Sakura had died? Why did you all think that?" Ino agreed to Shikamaru's question.

"As I said, we have many reasons to dislike Konoha. But, the biggest reason we had for harboring hatred for your village is the fact that the Shinobi who attacked the external base and 'killed' Sakura sama was from Konoha." His eyes turned sullen, "We mourned for Sakura sama. All these years, we mourned everyday. It was as if I lost my own child, and it was a painful time to us. After Sakura sama disappeared from our lives, everything reverted to how it was before: Dark, bloody, lifeless…" He sighed reminiscing the return of painful days.

"But it was the hardest for the Akatsuki. After Sakura sama 'died', the Akatsuki got more ruthless. They began getting stricter and harsher. Even Leader sama began fastening the pace of his plans. Before Sakura sama 'died' we'd see the Akatsuki out of the main base. They'd be strolling or shopping with Sakura sama like some ordinary person. But, I guess that was just a reason to be with Sakura sama because when she disappeared from their lives, they began shutting themselves in the main base and seeing the Akatsuki began a rare thing for all of us."

Silence followed after that. The Konoha shinobi sat there as if they had been told that they were going to die in a few moments. So, in short, Konoha had dug its own grave?

"Ah what's with all the pale faces?" Sakura popped out of the kitchen with a tray in her hands. Miyuki followed after carrying the kettle.

Several heads turned to the two who had sat across each other to fix the tea table. "Tea's ready!" Miyuki announced with a smile that quickly disappeared noticing the tense atmosphere, "is something wrong?"

Mita, not wanting to worry either Sakura or Miyuki, forced a laugh, "Ah iya, we were just talking. Nothing big. Ah the tea smells good!"

The Konoha shinobi, realizing what Mita was trying to do, forced smiles onto their faces as they grabbed cups. Before long, everyone had a teacup in hand and was sipping to their hearts' contents.

"So, Sakura sama, I heard from my husband that you're here to talk to Leader sama?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes, that's correct,"

"But Sakura sama, convincing him won't be easy. This is a critical point in Leader sama's plans. It'd be hard to turn back on their plans." Miyuki poured another batch onto the empty cups resting on the tea table.

"I know that," Sakura had paused, holding her cup midway towards her lips, "But I'll still try. I'm not doing this for my village. I'm doing this to protect those I love…"

Both Konoha shinobi and the Mita couple gave her a sympathetic look.

"There are people I love in Konoha and in the Akatsuki, and I want to protect them. I love Pain otou sama, that's why I'm doing this. I want to prevent him from doing something that he will regret."

"It's a bit too late, isn't it Sakura sama?" Miyuki nodded in agreement to her husband's input.

"No, I don't think so. It's not too late, I believe that there is still time to turn back despite being utterly sinned—that they can stop committing these crimes and atone for them." Her hands wound tightly around the rim of the cup.

"Sakura sama…" Tears welled in Miyuki's eyes. The little girl who used to get mad at Mita for killing a rabbit had matured into this kind of woman. She was, like a mother, proud.

Everyone in the room gave small smiles. If Sakura had something stronger than her brute strength, it was her determination. They were sure that somehow, Sakura would be able to solve Konoha's and Amegakure's problems.

"Such a heart warming speech. I just hope you will be able to relay that to Pain," A smooth velvety voice boomed from the corner of the room. All heads turned to the owner of the voice followed by the widening of eyes, "It's nice to see you alive and well, Sakura."

"KONAN OKAA SAMA!" Sakura started into a run and found herself embracing the blue haired woman.

"Ah Konan sama!" Miyuki and Mita all bowed their heads in respect.

The Konoha nin, however, were confused on what to do because the woman standing in front of them was part of the Akatsuki.

A small grace of a smile faded into Konan's face. Her features, with that smile of hers, were angelic and at the same time enigmatic, "Come. I am to escort you and your friends to the main base." Bluish gray eyes with amber highlights glanced at the Konoha shinobi.

"Eh? But isn't the main base far from this point?" Sakura, despite being away for many years, could still remember her way around.

"Yes, we're flying there." Her voice was as calm and composed as it always was. Konan looked as if she hadn't aged at all. She was still beautiful and stoic, like the nymph Sakura thought she was.

"Oh, I see, lead the way then Konan okaa sama," Sakura chirped and turned to the Konoha shinobi, "if you don't want to come…it's alright. I know it's your mission, but…"

"NO WAY!" Naruto stood with clenched fists, "Whether this were a mission or not, we're going to go with you!" A wide sheepish grin was on Naruto's face. He turned to the others, "Come on! Let's go!"

Kakashi, being used to Naruto's hyperness, turned his attention towards Konan. Could they trust her? Sakura would be safe, but would they?

Konan noticed Kakashi's stare and not wanting to center her words at Kakashi, spoke in a manner that seemed like it was directed to all of them, "I assure you that you all will be escorted safely. After all, this is a negotiation. However, should the Konoha shinobi show signs of aggression, we have the right to retaliate. We won't attack if the Konoha will not. That is the will of god." Konan's amber highlighted eyes had a cold feel to them and the Konoha shinobi deduced that it was something unusual of her because even Sakura was creeped out, "Shall we all go then?" As she finished her sentence, several pieces of paper flew into room encasing all the Konoha shinobi.

Thinking it was an attack, the Konoha shinobi struggled in their paper-made cocoons, "OI! What the hell is this?" Naruto's yell was echoed by several other trapped shinobi.

"Do not worry. This is to carry you all," Several more pieces of paper flew in from different directions and formed wings on Konan's back.

Sakura, being the only one not encased in a cocoon, sat on a winged chair made of paper, "Um…why am I not in a cocoon?"

Konan just grinned warmly and patted her head, but she did not tell her the reason.

Sakura didn't bother to further ask because Konan had occupied herself with thanking the couple before they all took their leave through the door and into the sky.

**XxxxxxX**

Time passed slowly. The ticking of the main base's clock slowed with each passing second and it infuriated the Akatsuki members. They were all, as ordered by the leader, gathered in the meeting room. It was a big spacious room with no windows and just a door. There were no tables, chairs or even good carpeting on the floor. In fact, it was completely barren save for the huge clock that hung on the wall and a platform for Leader sama and Konan to stand on.

Pain sat idly in the corner of the platform at the far back. His facial features suggested that his mind was somewhere distant. But, they deduced that it was because Konan wasn't around. None of them knew why they were called into the room. But, most of them didn't particularly care.

"God damnit, how long do we have to fucking wait here?" Hidan was the exception. He, among all of the Akatsuki members, was the most energetic and the most 'himself'. The others were either more reserved than usual or were snappier.

The male Akatsuki members were sprawled in the room. Hidan was pacing the room, his scythe on his shoulder. His partner, Kakuzu sat leaning on the gray concrete wall. Kisame stood leaning against across Kakuzu with Samehada at his side. Sasori, who usually tinkered with his puppets, sat stiffly in the corner of the room. Deidara, Sasori's often loud partner, was quietly sitting down next to him. Itachi, stood next to Kisame with a blank crimson stare.

"Shut up Hidan," Kakuzu, being among those who were snappier, scolded his partner.

Those who were quiet, meaning everyone except Kakuzu and Hidan, were all either preoccupied with their own thoughts or simply blank. Itachi was one of those who had a clear mind, but even if that was so, he wasn't internally calm. Behind his intimidating stoic façade lay a deepening after-shock that pulsed through his body. And, probably, the others too were in a state of shock.

Who wouldn't be? Someone long dead suddenly rises from the grave, and what's worse is that she sided with the enemy. Itachi was always a calm, calculative person. He took things rationally and wisely. But everything that was happening erased all rationality from everything. He took a silent deep breath and tried retaining his blank mind. Being a master of genjutsu, he had understood what exactly _reality_ was. _Reality is what we ourselves conceive_. That is what he had come to assume. And, by some twisted fate of irony, he himself couldn't take his own advice. Most people are said to not take their own advice, but Itachi wasn't like most people. He cared. It was dishonorable of him—but what the hell, he had done far worse things to dishonor himself—why care?

Kisame, who was scowling, stole a glance at Itachi. His crimson eyes swirled then calmed, then swirled again. Kisame never really cared about what went on with Itachi. His brooding moments, his stoic outlook, his weird but wise quotes—he wasn't the type to look into people especially if it didn't concern him. But somehow, he wished he had cared. Because that nagging feeling in his head wouldn't go away, and the curiosity he thought was harmless was direly fatal—it just wouldn't go away.

"Oh screw this! What the hell are we here for, huh?" Hidan lashed out at Pain who lifted his head to glance at the cultist. Swirling gray orbs transfixed themselves onto Hidan.

"Hidan, I'm getting tired of your impatience…" Cold, lifeless eyes bore into Hidan's soul and quieted him, but his silence didn't last long.

The huge double doors bust open with a force that sent all of the Akatsuki members reeling towards the door. Konan entered the room followed by a myriad of paper. Her wings dispersed themselves and scattered about the room. Tiny glowing amber bits in her eyes reflected onto Pain's and with a curt nod, she glided over to his side. "I've brought them, Pain"

"EH? Brought who?" Hidan looked back and forth between Pain and Konan. All the Akatsuki had their arms up to guard their faces from the papers that fluttered about them. They felt as if the room had been swept by a tornado as pieces of paper swirled around. Soon, the paper settled down and disappeared as if they were never there in the first place.

"Hidan nii?" A familiar voice, a blur of pink, a flash of green and all the Akatsuki stiffened. Sakura, who had gotten off of her paper-made chair stood before them.

"So, you really are alive, Sakura." Pain spoke phlegmatically.

Sakura froze in her place, "P-Pain otou sama…?" But her shock was replaced with worry when a rustling and a yell boomed behind her, "SAKURA!"

"SAKURA CHAN!"

First a blur of black and yellow and Sasuke and Naruto stood at either side of Sakura. As soon as Sasuke sensed a familiar foreboding chakra, he whipped at its source with crimson eyes. Crimson met crimson as his eyes met his elder brother's. Tense, Sasuke unconsciously gripped Sakura's wrist, much to Itachi's annoyance.

"Forehead!" Several figures rushed out of the paper cocoon and stationed themselves behind Sakura who was unsure of what to do.

"Konan, I didn't expect you to bring all of them…"

"They all wanted to go…" a smooth nonchalant voice answered his rough, yet composed one.

"Hm…no matter. Sakura, is it true you came to…negotiate?"

Sakura held her free hand to her chest, "Y-yes…" Pain otou sama looked so…different. There was something about him that felt so eerie that it made Sakura shiver.

Sensing Sakura's fear, Pain turned away from her and motioned at Konan. As soon as he did, without a word, several pieces of papers formed a small desk and chairs around it. Pain turned back at Sakura and motioned her to come closer.

"Sakura, you can't go alone." Sasuke's deep voice held a warning tone to it that Sakura became reluctant to follow.

"Sasuke," An even deeper, more dangerous sounding voice that held so much familiarity to Sakura made the two turn their heads, "Let her fulfill her mission." Itachi refused to look at Sakura. Instead, he kept his gaze at his younger brother who looked at him with so much disgust and detest.

"Hn," A grunt, then Sasuke reluctantly pulled his hand away. His crimson eyes stared at Sakura's back as she cautiously made her way towards their leader. Halfway, that back turned and a small smile revealed itself towards all of them from Konoha. It meant to say 'I'll be fine, don't worry,'. With the same feelings he had when he pulled his hand away, Sasuke didn't complain or protest. Instead, he just gave her an approving blank stare as she continued towards Pain.

Standing face-to-face, Sakura and Pain looked at each other. "Pain otou sama—no Pain sama," she corrected herself to add formality, "I, a representative of Konoha, am here to negotiate with you."

Without a response, Pain sat down on one edge of the table. Konan, with the same blank face, stood next to him. He extended his hand towards the chair across him as if to tell her to sit down.

With a rapid beating heart, she hesitantly sat down and found herself speechless. How long had it been since she had seen Pain otou sama? She imagined seeing him in better conditions—actually, she imagined meeting her nii sans in better conditions, but life was cruel that way. Life gave things they wanted in the most unexpected ways.

"What did you want to discuss?" Pain's voice held the same authoritative voice it held a long time ago. His question was more of a demand than a question itself.

"Konoha wants you to stop your attacks on Konoha and to give up on the nine-tailed fox."

Leaning forward with entwined fingers, Pain did not speak. For the first time in her life, Sakura wondered if Pain always had such a blank face. Why hadn't she noticed his emotionless face back then? Why hadn't she cowered at him like she did now? And then Sakura pondered if she had been _that_ oblivious, naïve and stupid back then.

They, the shinobi from Konoha, too sensed the dangerous air around Pain. Agitated, Sasuke couldn't control himself anymore. He dashed forward, "Sakura!"

Sakura turned her head towards Sasuke who was blocked from view by a line of black and red cloaks. "Sasuke kun!"

"Konan,"

Konan, again, wordlessly knew what he was commanding. In seconds, a massive wall of paper lined the platform that blockaded Sakura's view of anything outside. "Now, we can talk in private…" Sakura took a step back, feeling a bad aura emanating from Pain.

**XxxxxxX**

Outside, Sasuke struggled in Kisame and Itachi's grasp. Naruto, Lee and Kiba were also between several arms of the Akatsuki members.

"Let me go—SAKURA!" Sasuke yelled in frenzy.

"You can't even control your emotions," Itachi commented with a mocking look inside his eyes.

"Geez, Itachi san, your brother is so annoying," Kisame sneered at the Uchiha boy.

"Hn," was all Itachi could reply at the Shark.

"OI! TEME LET ME GO!" Meanwhile, Naruto thrashed in Hidan's hold.

"You fucking Kyuubi! Stop yellin', will ya! It's getting on my fucking nerves!"

"N-Naruto kun!" Hinata panicked in her place, Kurenai's hand on her shoulder to stop her from doing anything rash.

"Oy, let go. We're not here to fight," Asuma said with teeth gritted around a cigarette.

Kakuzu, wincing at Naruto's yelling, grabbed him by the collar and threw him at Asuma, "Hey, it was them who rushed and tried disturbing leader sama." Bright green eyes venomously glared at Asuma who grunted back at Kakuzu.

Gloved fingers grabbed Sasuke by shirt and pulled him away. Gray eyes clashed with crimson as Kakashi glared at Itachi, "You should calm down too…Sasuke," He said it without looking at Sasuke as if he couldn't leave his gaze from Itachi. Cautiously, Kakashi took a step back without taking his eyes away from the elder Uchiha.

Settling down, Sasuke grunted and pulled himself away from Kakashi with a jerk of his elbow. With narrowed eyebrows, Kakashi frowned at Sasuke, "Oi, Sasuke,"

"Aren't you a big group, yeah?" Deidara's sudden question gave him the spotlight. He had a smirk on to contemplate his blond hair and blue eyes.

"Well, it's only to be expected because this is a high profile mission," Kurenai calmly stated, taking a step forward yet still staying behind Asuma.

"Hm…negotiating with the Akatsuki, doesn't sound so high profile to me," A shark-like grin was flashed from Kisame as his beady black eyes mockingly scrutinizing the Konoha shinobi, "Are we that scary, Itachi san?"

"Hn, only to those inferior to us." Itachi meant no harm with his words. He was blunt with his honesty, thus this response held no malicious intent—no mockery, taunt or ill intentions. He was merely stating a fact, which was quite true. His ideologies stated that if one man knew that they could not win against the other then there is a call for fear.

And yet, despite Itachi knowing that he meant no harm, the Konoha shinobi thought otherwise. Eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed at his _rude_ remark. "We only brought this many people because we wanted to know if the Akatsuki were really high and mighty as rumors say," Kiba, agitated, barked out at Itachi. He gave a toothy smirk, "Heh, but it looks like you're worried about our numbers," this statement was directed at Deidara who scowled back at him.

"Now what gave you the idea that I was worried, yeah?" Deidara sneered, "It looks like _you're_ the one worried that you wouldn't win even with all your big numbers, un." The blonde gave a haughty chuckle.

"You're too full of yourself!" Ino yelled from behind Shikamaru. Shikamaru, on the other hand, sighed and slapped his forehead, "Geez, you guys are so noisy—troublesome."

"Oi, shut up you fucking bitch!" Hidan yelled from the sidelines. There was no way in hell that he wouldn't get to have a say in the matter.

A groan was heard from Hidan's side as Kakuzu slapped his forehead. He hoped that once—just once—Hidan would shut up and watch. But, wishing for that was like wishing for him to go to heaven when they died: It was possible but one would have to go through hell first.

"Oi what did you just call me?" Ino snapped back at Hidan. The tension in the air kept increasing and increasing. One after the other, each person in the room began getting more and more agitated with each come back. After a few minutes of yelling, screaming, retaliating and reasoning, the Konoha nin and Akatsuki were at their wits' ends.

"Hn, you Konoha nin let your emotions drive you too much. A shinobi does not let emotions get the better of him—neither of you possess the ability to become true shinobi." That was the final straw. Sasuke burst into a yell, sparking off bits off his Chidori as he charged head on at Itachi. "DAMN YOU!"

**XxxxxxX**

But the ruckus outside could not be heard from where Sakura, Pain and Konan sat. Where they were, the paper wall blocked all connection from the outside, allowing them to discuss in peace.

"So, where were we? Ah yes," He leaned back against his chair, his face still straight and stony, "Konoha wants Akatsuki to stop attacking them and give up on the nine-tailed fox?"

"Yes," Sakura spoke timidly, half because of respect and the other half because of fear.

"Impossible," Pain responded bluntly. His tone made no room for further negotiations or any more questions, "We cannot oblige to what Konoha wants."

"But—" Sakura was cut off by a piercing glare from Pain. His glare was so harsh that she was literally forced to shut up.

"Tell me Sakura, Konoha wants us to follow his terms, yes?"

Sakura dumbly nodded, a little frustrated at her inability to answer.

"But what I'm more interested is…what do you want us to do?"

Sakura was caught off guard. She hadn't expected such a question to confront her, thus the shock left her unable to reply.

Pain, seeing Sakura's discomfort, took the moment to let his gaze linger away from the pinkette. For a period of time, he let her silence drag on until his patience ran thin, "Sakura," he called out to her, "Your reply?"

Sakura's hands wound tightly into fists, scrunching her skirt in the process. "I want…" Why was it so hard for her to say what she wanted? Why couldn't she just let it come out in one go? This wasn't the time to be reserved and modest. After all, she had every right to speak her mind. Besides, she was asked in the first place, so she had to answer. "I…" Her lower lip trembled to the point that it annoyed her. To cure its shaking, she bit it, "I want…my demands are harder to follow than Konoha's…" The tips of her lips curved into a crooked smile.

"Hm, still, let's hear them." Pain's demanding voice made Sakura twitch as a sudden burst of chills erupted on her backside. She swallowed a lump of saliva because her throat felt dry all of a sudden.

"I want…" She took a deep breath and let the words burst from her mouth, "I want the Akatsuki to ally with Konoha!" as soon as she let the words out, she reeled back as if she had said something she wasn't supposed to say. But, she reeled back because of the shock. She was shocked that she had said something so selfish. Of course Pain wouldn't agree. He wouldn't agree to stop attacking Konoha, so why would he ally with it?

Pain let his gaze linger at Konan as if he were seeking for some advice. But, he wanted none of that. He simply just wanted to know what was her opinion on the matter.

Konan glanced back at Pain before giving him a nod. She understood Pain—probably more than anyone. "Sakura, we've worked too hard to drop everything. We've spent all these years planning this. What you're saying is easily said than done."

"Yes, that's why I didn't want to say my own demands…I'm sorry it was a selfish request." She let her head droop down, ashamed of her own words.

"As Konan said, we've done too much to turn back now. Besides, even if we agreed to it, Konoha would not allow it. Konoha views as too much of a threat. If we stopped attacking Konoha, we would still be hunted down. An alliance is…implausible. They view us as traitors and there is no way for them to accept us." Pain spoke with such firm conviction that Sakura let the words sink through her like truth written in stone.

But, even if Sakura accepted his reply because of his conviction, she couldn't help but agree because of her own reasons. It was true, even if Akatsuki agreed to stop attacking Konoha, it didn't stop Konoha from viewing them as the enemy. And because they would continue viewing the Akatsuki as an enemy, Konoha would never accept them.

"Konoha _hates_ the Akatsuki." It was amazing, really, how Konoha's ideologies, reasoning and beliefs towards the Akatsuki could be summed up in one word: hate. It was a simple word that even a small child would know. And yet, its simplicity made way for a deep complexity overlapped by reasoning, opinion and rationality. The hatred for Konoha was a naked emotion clothed by human logic.

"That's true," She agreed, her eyes refused to meet his. Even if her hopes at an alliance at an alliance had been dashed, she still had a mission to convince the Akatsuki to stop attacking Konoha. In that hopeless situation, Sakura was forced to gather all her will, for it was her will that would stop her from giving up, "But…Pain otou sama, as someone who loves you, I believe it's best if you stop attacking the other Shinobi."

Pain's brows furrowed and his lips curled into a deep frown. "Sakura, you still don't understand, do you? There is no hope for such thing. No matter how much you try, the deep hatred that has existed for a long time will breed war." Pain glanced at a random space in the paper-made wall. For a time, he stared at it until he decided to continue, "No matter how many people reason, fighting is inevitable—_war_ IS inevitable."

"That's not true!" Sakura, through her sudden burst of emotions, stood up with a slam, "Fighting can be prevented!"

"Oh? And give me an example where the Konoha nin and Akatsuki survive in one room without trying to kill each other?"

"I'm in this room right now and—"

"That doesn't count. Sakura, you have a history with us."

"Then…" Sakura bit her lip thinking hard. Then, like a light bulb had sparked in her head, she brightened up, "Then the Konoha and Akatsuki outside! They're probably just standing around waiting for us."

Pain's frown tilted downwards to the side and his gray eyes stared at her longer than usual. After a prolonged silence, pale lips parted, "Are you sure?" his tone was eerie, like a taunting beckoning god who had asked Sakura a life and death question.

"Y-yes…" Sakura lowered her gaze because the way his ringed eyes swirled made her sway—like she were being hypnotized.

"Hm," Pain's eyes turned to Konan, "let's see then, Konan?"

Blue gray eyes met with his gray ones for a moment before she turned her attention to her own creation. One by one, the paper wall scattered into pieces and fell to the floor. Slowly, it revealed the scene before them that shocked Sakura and made her eat her words.

Konoha nin and Akatsuki were all individually engaged in battle. They had all managed to find their own sparring partners and were deadlocked on hurting the other.

Kurenai's team was assisting Ino and Chouji against Kakuzu. From all possible sides, they tried to counteract and attack the tendril master. They were doing their best retaliating from Kakuzu's tendrils and element blasts while Shikamaru and Asuma fought Hidan.

Shikamaru held Hidan with his shadow by technique. Asuma gave a war cry as he slashed at Hidan, but was utterly rendered speechless when Hidan spoke despite the slash on his neck. Bleeding through the neck, Hidan gave a maniacal laugh. "Fuck yeah!" His flesh then slowly darkened and white markings appeared on his face. Neither Asuma, Shikamaru nor Sakura knew what was happening but they were sure that it wasn't good.

Sakura was about to yell at Hidan when a huge wave suddenly crashed on Sakura's far right. Team Gai were taking on Kisame and his water clones. Each of team Gai fought individually with a clone and the real Kisame had yet to reveal himself among them. Grinning, Kisame opened his mouth and spit out a huge amount of water. "Kisame! Stop it!" Sakura rushed forward but Pain's hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her back.

"It's no use."

"N-no! Let go of me!" Sakura jerked her hand away, but froze when something whipped behind her. Sai and Yamato had Sasori and his puppets in a taijutsu battle. A huge number of puppets took to the sky and fought against Sai's ink made creatures. Yamato, on the other hand, launched several wooden snake-like things and knocked a good number of Sasori's puppets down. Sai and Yamato moved with skill, accuracy and teamwork to bring down as much of Sasori's puppets as they could. And, they did all that all the while avoiding Sasori's poisonous attacks.

Sakura stood there, awed by Yamato and Sai's moves—they were actually putting up a good fight with Sasori's multitude of puppets. But, her attention was soon forced to deviate from Sasori, Sai and Yamato's battle when several explosions rang out from the other end of the room. Deidara set off explosions at Kakashi and Naruto's numerous clones that lunged at the blond. With a haughty smirk, Deidara had both his hands dug into his pouch and was ready to attack once again. Another set of bombs, and smoke filled the room. The smoke thickened until it was impossible to see neither Kakashi, Naruto or Deidara. "Naruto! Deidara nii chan! Kakashi sensei!"

"Hm? You can't cheer on both sides you know…" Pain taunted from behind her. His words were luring—probably trying to get her to give up on Konoha's demands. But, Sakura would fight such convincing words and not give up.

"Watch me! If they just stop fighting, I wouldn't need to cheer on either side!" Sakura had her head turned towards Pain—a glint in her emerald eyes.

"Oh? Then can you stop those two?" Pain motioned towards the two lone figures who stood across each other which, to a bystander, appeared to be having a staring contest. But, anyone who knew the powers of the Sharingan knew what was _really_ happening.

Itachi, as the other Akatsuki fought groups, had been singled out by Sasuke, and their battle had the heaviest atmosphere of all. Neither one of them moved, but this only managed to further increase the tension in the air. Crimson stared into crimson as their tomoes swirled and settled then swirled again.

"Itachi nii san…Sasuke kun…" Her heart lurched in her chest as a sickening feeling passed through her. Her eyes, a dilated green, stared at the two Uchiha siblings. She had a bad feeling in her gut about what was happening inside. But, soon, her fears were erased when Sasuke and Itachi began moving again until they were both released from each other's illusion. Eyes narrowed at each other and a deathly duel began. Katana clashed with Kunai as the two sliced, dodged, kicked, defended and attacked each other.

Sakura's hand twitched forward. She needed to stop this—the unneeded fight before her. The smoke from Deidara's explosions cleared to reveal a bloodied and wounded Naruto, and an exhausted Kakashi. Deidara, on the far end of the room, was in a worse state. One of his arms had managed to be 'ripped' away and was being held by his working arm. Blood dripped from where his arm should have been connected. And yet, though the pain should've made him shrivel, he was smirking still.

Metal screeched and clanged with the sheer force of impact. Itachi cocked his head to the side to evade Sasuke's incoming blade. From where she stood, Sakura could feel the oozing rage emitted by Sasuke. His crimson eyes, red with killing intent, told Sakura that Sasuke was ready to break his promise.

Her body involuntarily twitched, urging her to run between them—between _all_ of them—and stop their fighting. In her desperation, she called out to them in a soft voice none of them could hear, "No…stop it…"

"It makes you want to force them to stop—the way they're fighting. But, you know, screaming at them won't make them stop nor will _you_ begging them work," Pain's gaze was fixed onto the panorama before him, unmoving, cold and dead serious, "And even if you _do_ intervene with force, the next time they meet, the deep lingering hatred between them will force them to fight."

Sakura let Pain's words echo through her mind. What did he mean? What was he suggesting? "No, please stop," She wanted to yell it out to them—scream the whispered words at them. But, something kept her from doing so. This something existed somewhere deeper than her inner self; it told her that screaming at them to stop was a futile effort.

"You want them to stop, don't you? Then I'll tell you how to stop their fighting for good—so they will never fight again even if they do meet up the next time," Pain took a step forward and leaned into her ear. His words were sweet, like honey used to lure a bear into a trap. Taunting, Sakura knew his words would lead her somewhere she didn't like, but like an enticed bear, she could not resist. She waited. The silence was gruesome. It kept her hanging and the suspense was killing her. Then out of nowhere, deep haunting words were thrust into her, "The only way to stop them all for good is to…kill them all."

_Kill them all_. Those were the words Pain shoved into the deep creases of her mind. But how could it have been so simply said? How was he, a once caring father-like figure, able to say such grave things? And when he had said _all_, he included the Akatsuki members. If it were the Konoha nin alone, Sakura would've understood why, but the Akatsuki, why them? They were his comrades, his brothers, his _family_. Why would he even think of obliterating them? Again and again, his words faded in and out of her brain until she could no longer bear the evil intentions of his words. "NO! What're you saying? You can't kill them! There's got to be a way, there's-"

"Sakura, look: They. Are. Shinobi. They are weapons and that is all." Sakura clutched her ears in an attempt to block closer. They are all willing to fight to the end because of either personal or political reasons. out his words, but it was useless. They managed to enter her brain one way or another, like poison seeping through the deep crooks of her mind, "They are shinobi and they fight regardless of whom they hurt. They don't care about those people who get hurt in the long run so long as their village is safe."

Sakura felt a harsh jolt course through her body leaving a dulling sensation behind. Her vision fell into complete darkness, as did her mind. Sakura turned right and left trying to make sense of where she was. Her heart beating hard and fast in her chest, she didn't understand what was happening.

"S-stop it…" A soft whisper erupted from the dead silence, "…please…make it all go away…" Suddenly, a soft outline faded into Sakura's vision. Then, that outline solidified into something—and then someone.

Sakura's eyes widened as a little girl stood before her sobbing and gripping herself. But what shocked Sakura the most was the fact that the little girl that stood before her was…her own self.

"I hate them…" Little Sakura whispered under her breath. Her arms wrapped around her own little body, tears streaming down her face. Her fingers trembled as she whispered inaudible things at something nonexistent.

Sakura was at a loss for what to do. Her mind was reeling and everything did not make sense to her. Why was she seeing her childhood self? And where was she? When the little girl sobbed harder, Sakura, on instinct, inched her hand closer. But, an inch away from Little Sakura's face, Sakura was forced to retract her hand because Little Sakura did the unexpected.

Little Sakura suddenly lifted her head and stared straight at Sakura with piercing eyes that seemed to bore into Sakura's soul. Little Sakura's hand lifted and pointed at Sakura, "I hate you."

Sakura unconsciously took a step back. _What?_

Little Sakura's eyes grew colder and colder with hate as tears continued to cascade down her cheeks, "I hate YOU," Her voice was shaking and cracking, but at the same time it rose with volume and hatred, "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

"N-no…" Sakura trembled. She couldn't stand to hear such words and it embossed itself into her mind. Sakura held herself in the same manner Little Sakura did earlier, "no…"

"I HATE YOU SHINOBI!" Little Sakura screamed at Sakura with an accusing finger pointed straight at her, "OTOU SAN BECAME LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF YOU! I HATE YOU! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

Sakura held herself tighter in attempt to drive the words out, "No! Don't say that!"

"OKAA SAN DIED BECAUSE OF YOU SHINOBI! SELFISH SHINOBI WHO ONLY CARED ABOUT THEMSELVES! I HATE ALL OF YOU!" Little Sakura cried harder and harder, "I WISH SHINOBI DIDN'T EXIST!"

"No," Sakura's voice trembled and she choked on her own words, "Don't say that….no…" Sakura held herself, nails starting to dig into her skin, "no, no, no, No, No, NO, NO, NO! NO! NO!"

Pain was forced to take a step back as Sakura, with a sudden jolt, began reeling back. After he had said those words to her, Sakura fell into a numb state and then she just suddenly began screaming and reeling with her hands gripping her head.

"NOOOO!" Sakura leaned on the wall, body trembling and her throat drying with her scream. Her scream was shrill, like a ghost wailing in the middle of the night. Her bone chilling ghost-of-a-wail was so disturbing that it caught the attention of everyone in the battlefield.

"Sakura!" Sasuke was first to act. All thoughts of his brother dissipated as he rushed over to Sakura's side, but a hand was quick to grab him by the shoulder.

"And where do you think you're going, Sasuke?" Itachi wasn't sure whether he stopped Sasuke out of the fact that he was leaving in the middle of a battle, or if it were the thought that Sasuke would be the first to come to Sakura's aid. Either way, Itachi didn't want Sasuke to leave the fight. Then again, he too was _worried_ about the pink haired one.

"Shut up! Let go of me!" Sasuke struggled from Itachi's grasp, his elbow jerking backwards in an attempt to hit his older brother. But, Itachi would not let go.

"SAKURA CHAN!" Both blondes yelled in urgency. Deidara and Naruto glanced at one another, blue eyes meeting blue eyes, and without a word, came to a single temporary truce. In a split second, they both dashed towards where Sakura was. But, as they came close, Konan appeared out of nowhere and blocked their path.

"Let us through!" Naruto demanded, anger in his voice.

"I can't let you do that," Konan responded in her bleakness.

"But, Sakura chan's in pain, hmph!" Deidara, too, was anxious to get to Sakura.

"Deidara, these are Pain's orders,"

"But—" Deidara was cut off when a glint of annoyance flashed on Konan's eyes.

"You dare disobey the god?" Konan stood there, unmoving and intimidating.

Deidara backed down, his teeth clenched. "What are we supposed to do then?"

"Just fight." Konan's words were indifferent as were her eyes, but Deidara knew that she simply feigned indifference for discipline. But even so, were they to just sit back and pretend that Sakura was in no Pain? Was this leader's way of teaching her 'Pain'? It was disagreeable.

"I refuse to fight," Deidara said in his stubborn headed way.

Konan glanced at Deidara before walking off towards Pain, "Do whatever you want, then. But, you'll be sorry later." She warned him.

Naruto, who had not known what to do, glanced Deidara's way. "I don't care about our fight," He tried to make a point, "And I don't care what happens to _you_, but Sakura is in danger and—"

"Don't you think I feel the same way, hmph?" Deidara's fists were tight, and his teeth gnashed with one another, "Ch- Screw the orders, hmph," A haughty smirk crept its way onto his face, "Sakura's the most important thing to me, hmph. I never wanted to join this damn organization in the first place."

"Eh?" Naruto, slow as usual, gawked at Deidara. After an established silence, Naruto finally understood but a meager amount of what the blond meant, "OH! So does that mean…?"

"Are you really this slow?" His facial expression was a mixture of annoyance, disbelief and impatience.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply but was distracted by another wail from Sakura.

"NOOO!" Sakura trembled, her green eyes were filled with mixed emotions of fear, anger, sadness and a desperation that no one knew. Then, as sudden as she was thrashing, she was still. Unmoving, she stood head hung low, her eyes hidden from view.

Something stirred in Pain. It was a feeling he thought he had long forgotten. Pity? Empathy? …Worry? He didn't know what exactly the feeling was. However, he did know that it urged him to move forward and inched a hand towards her shoulder, "Sakura?"

His hand an inch away from her shoulder, Sakura's hand flew up and slapped it away. Her head slowly lifted to reveal the most bone-chilling glare. Her eyes were like swirling venom filled with hate and madness.

Pain, however, did not tremble like most men would. Instead, he took a step back and watched her with stoic eyes. Her show of aggression piqued his interest as he felt her glare never leave him.

"You…" Sakura's voice was hoarse, dried up from the screaming.

Akatsuki and Konoha stopped their battles to watch Sakura's peculiar movements. Her icy glare, her trembling hands, her pale skin—she was like a patient straight out of a mental hospital. However, they all somehow did not doubt this and was well aware of that possibility.

Sakura had broken down.

Frenzied eyes glared at Pain and then stared down at both Akatsuki and Konoha shinobi. With an accusing finger, she pointed at them. "I HATE YOU ALL!"

Several pairs of eyes widened at her proclamation. _Hate them? _Would the Sakura they knew hate them? No…she would never. The Sakura before them was _not _the Sakura they knew and loved. This was a very different Sakura—a Sakura they never imagined.

"I hate you shinobi!" She continued yelling, "They made my life bad!"

Itachi marveled at Sakura's word choice. They were simple words: hate, bad, life, and such an interesting word choice—especially for Sakura—were that of a child's. So was the one standing before them, yelling her hatred, a different persona? Because the only time he had heard Sakura use this kind of phrasing and vocabulary choice was when she was hardly 9.

"I hate you!" She pointed at Pain, "And you!" She next pointed at Konan then her finger moved as she said the same phrase over and over again. After Konan, it moved to Deidara, then Naruto, then Kakashi, Yamato, Sai, Ino, Kisame, Hidan, Shikamaru, Choji, Asuma, Gai, Lee, Tenten, Neji, Sasori, Kakuzu, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, and Kurenai. Lastly, she lifted both hands eerily and pointed at Sasuke and Itachi, "especially YOU".

Uchiha brothers stood confused by her actions. What had they done?

"Sakura, you—"

"NO!" Sakura snapped at Pain, "I hate all of you shinobi! I hate your kind!"

"But you're one as well!" Kiba, pissed, yelled. For his insensitive actions, he received a slap by Kurenai who in process yelled a 'kiba!'

Sakura glared at Kiba, "That's so stupid!" It was an immature reply, but it suited her strange state somehow, "Why would I be one? I HATE them. HATE THEM! They made otou san kill okaa san!" She vented out her rage, fists curled tightly. "They died because of you shinobi!"

They were taken aback. They ALL were taken aback. Konoha and Akatsuki stared in disbelief at the sudden revelation being shoved right into their faces.

"Sakura…look at yourself." Pain stated, his ever so uncaring look on his face and that tone in his voice.

For a moment, Sakura hesitated. She let her hand travel up her thigh and felt her eyes go wide when she touched her ninja pouch. Digging her hand in, she pulled out a Kunai which dropped to the floor the second her eyes fell on it. "N-no this can't be I—" Sakura stopped, her eyes trembling as did the rest of her body. Sakura felt like a great conflagration was coursing down her entire body. Her heart was racing and a deep anxiety throbbed throughout her nerves. Unknowing what to do, she slumped and her mind blacked out. Sweat trickled down the sides of her face. Panting, her breath was hard and short.

When Pain figured she had settled down, he knelt beside her and stared straight at her, "Sakura, have you regained yourself?"

Sakura dumbly nodded. Slowly, she began understanding everything that had happened. Pain set off a chain reaction within her body that caused her to break down. But that was obvious, wasn't it? What she couldn't understand was how she could have had a hidden disposition within her mind and why it was able to take control of her. Even with Inner-Sakura, she was still able to manifest her conscious self. So why? Why was Little Sakura able to take over her mind?

When Little Sakura had taken over her mind, Sakura had sunk into a world she did not want to go into. She phased through her memories, passing and experiencing everything all over again as if reliving every single one of her childhood past. However, in her fucked up past, there was one incident that repeated over and over again.

_Sakura cringed as she huddled against the wall trembling from the person she never thought of fear. _

_Her father, knife in hand, moved closer and closer towards her with a demented, crooked smile on his face. _

_Sakura had her arms up to protect herself from her father, but not once did her sight leave him. But her trembling worsened when he gave off a low unhinged laugh that shook the very core of her spine. _

"_Yes…" he said in his low voice that Sakura knew her mother loved. Mother, where was she? "Take away everything…" He continued as he inched closer to her. A hand reached out and grabbed Sakura by the edge of shoulder, his grasp tight and locked, "Take away the pain…I must…kill the pain." His voice was that of a mentally deranged ghost whose unfinished business was to kill someone. He raised the hand that held the knife high and thrust it towards Sakura._

_Sakura froze and found herself simply staring and waiting for the knife to go through her. She just sat there, trembling and waiting for the pain that was to come. When the knife was within inches of her, she shut her eyes hoping she would feel no pain if it pierced through her. _

_It all happened so fast. One moment, she was staring blankly at the knife coming towards her, the next she was shutting her eyes and then the next, she was staring at crimson red flow down her mother's back. _

_To defend her child, Saku had rushed in at the nick of time to prevent the blade from going through her daughter—at a price. _

_Sakura stared at the overflowing blood that ruined her mother's favorite carpet. Sakura's eyes widened when her mother slowly turned towards her with her lips twitched into a weak smile. Her mother always gave her that smile when things looked bad. It was to tell her that 'everything would be okay'. But, really, would everything be okay?_

_ For a moment, Sakura's father, Arata, was staring at the mess he had created. Then, his gaze returned to Sakura who had realized that it was her turn next. Out of fear, Sakura pushed herself to move. She quickly stood and raced out of their home as her father was regaining himself. She kept running, never turning back, and eventually found herself in Konoha Park. _

Sakura slowly pieced together everything. In her numbed state, she wondered what was the purpose of it all? If, indeed, a divine entity ruled them all, what was his purpose for making people go through such horrible things? And, did he really intentionally make humans go through that?

"Sakura." Pain stood after seeing her regain consciousness of her self.

Sakura couldn't find the answer. What was the purpose for all the pain? The pain? Her father had pointed out that killing her would be killing the pain. So, was asking the existence of pain the same thing as questioning her existence? Was she really just…pain? A manifestation of pain perhaps?

_Mother help me._ Sakura wished that her mother were alive to tell her what to do. She always knew what to do—what to say. For as long as she could remember, her mother had taught her things—morals—for her everyday affairs. So if she were alive now, what would she have said? Sakura searched her memory bank trying to see if her mother had passed down, by chance, any words of wisdom that would help her.

Her thoughts suddenly traveled to the time when the economy was slowly crashing and her parents were having a hard time supporting her. It was on a fair day and Sakura and her mother had decided to sit side by side on the garden swings. The swings were worn out and the edges were in need of sanding. But, her mother had carelessly, because she was often clumsy, touched it and felt a splinter enter her finger.

"_Ouch"_

"_Ah okaa san!"_

_Saku chuckled and placed a hand on Sakura's head, "It's okay it's just a splinter,"_

"_But doesn't it hurt?" Sakura looked up to her mother with the deepest concern._

"_It does,"_

"_So why do you look happy?" Sakura loved her mother, but at times, she was just…weird._

_Saku giggled again, "Because I now learned to not touch the edges of the swings. And, I learned that I need to get this swing fixed,"_

_Sakura gave Saku a look of disbelief and didn't reply._

_Saku, amused, smiled and held her child lovingly. " Sometimes, what hurts will teach us things we could never learn with pleasure or from books. Sometimes, pain is what makes us stronger. When we go through life's obstacles, we grow stronger and smarter. Don't forget that, Sakura."_

"I understand now…" Sakura's lips curled into a faint smile, which turned into a series of chuckles.

Shinobi both Akatsuki and Konoha nin took turns giving Sakura looks of disbelief. Was this a second phase of her break down?

"I understand now…Everything…" Sakura raked her fingers through her short hair laughing to herself. Pulling the tangles out, she stood and curled her fingers into fists. "I understand what I have to do now." From a mental breakdown to a completely sane state, Sakura put on a determined face. Her gloved hands tightly wound, she grinned at Pain.

"My name is Sakura Haruno," She announced, "I am the godaime's apprentice and on behalf of her, I ask the Akatsuki one thing: Stop your hunt for the tailed beasts and create an alliance with Konoha."

Jaws dropped as Sakura's unexpected proclamation echoed through the battleground. Had she finally gone crazy?

However, while others thought something was very wrong with Sakura, it was only Pain who was amused at the turn of events. "Sakura Haruno, as leader of the Akatsuki, I ask you, what reason would we have to create an alliance with Konoha? What benefits would we get? If we join you now, it would take time to let the public accept us as allies."

Sakura's grin widened, a certain mysterious sparkle in her iris. "Akatsuki, your group means 'dawn' doesn't it?"

Pain nodded, "Yes, like the rising sun we bring anew"

"And you mentioned that you wanted everyone to know what pain was; you wanted everyone to feel real pain, didn't you?" It was a rhetorical question for she was simply reiterating his previously said words. "Then wouldn't making use of hate and striking more hatred into the hearts of everyone only make matters worse?"

Pain didn't like where her words were going. But, his ideals would not be crushed, "If there is no one else left who is there to create more hate?"

Sakura scoffed, "Destroy everything and create 'anew'? Is that it?" Sakura's smile was sarcastic, but her gaze was soft and understanding.

Pain in turn scoffed at her remark, "You seem to understand my ideals."

"I do, I understand _everything_." She was smiling. No one could tell if it was a nonchalant response or a true smile. Everyone simply remained unresponsive and waited for the events to progress accordingly.

"Is that so?" Somehow, Pain was discontented with her vague replies.

"I understand…that you yourself do not understand what you want and how you will achieve it." A wider smile was beamed at Pain whose brows furrowed.

"_I _do not understand _my_ own ideals?" Pain's eyes narrowed at the pinkette, "Then could you ever so _kindly_ explain what my ideals are?"

Sakura nodded casually, "Gladly." She leaned on the nearest wall and jade met gray as she made sure to have eye contact with him. "What you want is not everyone to feel Pain, but everyone to know how Pain feels. There's a difference between wanting everyone to feel Pain and people _knowing_ how Pain feels like."

Confident, Sakura did not leave any openings for Pain to interject— it wasn't like he did. Pain was busy trying to compare his own ideals with what she was saying, "And you want people to know what Pain felt like because you want them to understand," She glanced from one Shinobi to another, "What I'm saying is…you just want the world to be a better place." She gave him a grin similar to what mothers give their children when they had just understood their wrong doings.

Pain fell into a prolonged silence that disturbed Konan. However, he wasn't the only one. Everyone else in the room had nothing to say and had no solid argument to say to Sakura. If they only knew Pain so much, Sakura was probably right because from the way Pain was reacting, Sakura had probably gotten half, if not everything, right.

But, Sakura was far from finished. She stood, her arms crossed and her eyes fixed onto his. "And about your means…they are wrong, _completely _wrong." Her understanding mother-like smile had turned to her usual frown which she often showed Naruto when she was displeased.

Naruto, who knew all too well what it meant, cringed. However, Itachi and the other members of the Akatsuki only wondered when Sakura could show such an un-angelic face. For once in their lives, she looked like a warrior princess just waiting for the right time to strike her foe—A strong princess staring up at a great god with confidence to win.

"You want to change the world, but the only change you will commit is the existence of people. Take your revenge, but they will do you no good. In the end, you won't be happy, even you yourself won't be."

Her words struck Sasuke deep, but he knew this to be true because he, too, had realized this.

"Destroying the world won't do anything but further bring the world to its end. There will be no hatred—yes—but at the same time, there will be _nothing. _Will you be satisfied knowing you are the last person on earth and there is nothing you can do to bring back everything to what it was! You have to learn how to forgive…" Sakura kept her heart firmly on her chest, and her hands tightly wound.

Pain was silent. At a loss for words or deeply brooding, no one could tell. Finally, after a pregnant pause, Pain spoke in a harsh tone, "Everyone, out of this room except Sakura and Konan."

Unsure of what to do, the others dumbly looked at each other. And after a few moments of glancing between one another, they turned back and left the room.

**XxxxxxX**

Silence fell between the three. Konan glanced between the two, her bluish gray eyes highlighted with gold watched every detail: their flickering emotions, their slight jerk of the limbs, and the soft sway of their hair. They stood staring down at one another—unmoving, unyielding.

"So it's come down to this, Pain otou sama?" She did not mock him, but she did taunt him.

"I don't remember you being so disrespectful, Sakura," He replied casually and unaffected.

"Why did you ask them to leave?" She changed the topic because she wanted this over and done with. However, she decided that she would not leave the place without persuading the Akatsuki to at least cease their fight for the Kyuubi.

Again, Silence reigned. Even Konan, who knew Pain the most, did not understand his words and actions.

"It's impossible to turn back now. It's much too late. This is also convenient because the Kyuubi is just a room away." Pain spoke in a blasé manner.

"It's never too late! You can just drop everything!"

"And do you honestly think that once we set foot in Konoha, we won't be attacked? And even if Konoha lets us in, it would only trigger a great war. Your words would then be nothing but of a hypocrite's."

"That's not true! There are peaceful ways to solve things. There're assemblies, treaties—"

"Treaties are as good as verbal promises. They're just facades to make the people believe that everything is fine. But the citizens know nothing of the darkness looming below their politicians' smiles."

"That is why we shall change that! Pain otou sama, you say hatred is a never-ending chain. If you don't stop now then the chain will really never stop. Should we wait for the world to end before we start changing? We shouldn't wait for the next generation to begin the change. If we don't start the new chain then who will?" Sakura was out of breath. Her outbursts had cost her a good deal of energy and voice. Her throat was dry from yelling, and her hands were white from the lack of blood flow.

Pain sighed, something she had rarely seen him do. And, with one fluid motion, he raised his head back up and said, "Enough…" He said in his all-commanding voice, "I've had enough talking with you." He turned around and walked towards Konan and whispered something into her ear before walking towards a door Sakura had failed to see earlier.

"Wait! I'm not through talking with you! Pain—"

Konan stopped Sakura dead in her tracks, "Be patient, Sakura."

"But—"

"Pain did not say his final decision."

And, just when Sakura was about to shove Konan out of the way, the door where Pain had gone through opened again to reveal a person Sakura had never seen before. Black hair and pale skin were covered by a black cloak printed with the infamous Akatsuki clouds. Was he a new member?

Sakura took a step back. There was something about him that seemed familiar. His intimidating presence, too, was familiar. It was only when the shadows lifted from his face did Sakura shudder and shrivel at him. This man, even if he didn't look like him, was definitely…Pain otou sama.

"Wh—"

"That is Pain's true form…" Konan noted from the side.

Sakura was at a loss for things to say. If this was Pain's real form then who was the one she had come to know?

As if he read her mind, 'Pain' took a step towards the side as several figures stepped out of the shadows. One of which she recognized as the Pain she had know while the others only shared characteristics as him: orange hair, gray ringed eyes and piercing all over. It was only the new black haired pain that was different.

"Nagato, are you safe to walk around like that?" Konan asked.

"I'll be fine, Konan."

_Nagato? _Was that his real name? Once or twice she'd heard it in the base, but it never really occurred to her. She had thought the person was just an acquaintance or so.

Nagato took a step towards Sakura to reveal wires latched onto his back. Staring at Sakura with gray ringed eyes, he opened his mouth to speak. "Do you know why I have revealed myself to you?"

Sakura shook her head. She was scared—she admitted it—but she held her ground.

"I showed you my true form because I trust you Sakura."

Sakura was caught off guard. _What?_

"I trust you, Sakura, to keep your word. If we return to Konoha with you and drop all of our plans…can you promise me the world will be better?"

From these words, Sakura realized that the Pain—Nagato— in front of her was different. He did not have the indifferent, cold, and lifeless gaze he normally had. Instead, he had the eyes of a lonely man seeking some sort of escape from everything. Sakura stole a glance at Konan and reveled at the sight of her smiling so beautifully. It was rare to see her Konan okaa sama smile, and what a sight to remember it was.

Sakura nodded, "Yes. I swear by my name, Sakura Haruno, and my reputation as the Hokage's apprentice, that I will keep my promise. Pain sama, you can trust yourself to be in good hands."

For a brief moment, a small smile flickered onto his face. But, as quickly as it came, it disappeared. "However, I don't think Konoha would allow as to simply stay, would they?"

Sakura fell silent. He was right, "No, I suppose not."

"So shall we make an alliance?" Nagato said the words Sakura had wanted him to say. With one swift movement, the wires on his back detached and the seven orange haired Pains fell onto the ground.

Sakura grinned and declared openly, "Konoha will take in the Akatsuki not as criminals in exchange for the following conditions: 1) Akatsuki will relinquish the chase over the Kyuubi and all its plans for world domination and 2.) It will be annexed as an ally of Konoha," Sakura could only hope that Pain—Nagato—would accept the terms.

After a pregnant pause, Nagato looked into Sakura's eyes, "Your terms…are accepted. I am interested on how this treaty will go." Of course, there was always that cynical hint in his voice. But, this was good enough for now.

"Then, Pain sama, Konoha and Akatsuki are allies from now on." Sakura grinned and shook Nagato's outstretched hand. And, together, they walked towards the door only to find Konoha shinobi and Akatsuki shinobi in their own corridors waiting patiently for the development of events.

"Sakura chan!"

"Sakura Chan!"

Deidara and Naruto called out at the same time, standing up from their waiting position. However, they were forced to shut up when they saw Sakura's new companion.

"Everyone," Konan called out, "This is leader sama's real form. Nagato."

Akatsuki and Konoha stood agapped at this news. Of course, there was the natural confusion from the sudden turn of events. But, there were more important things at hand.

Itachi took this moment to seize this opportunity, "What happened?" He said bluntly as he usually did.

Nagato, with ringed eyes giving each Akatsuki member a piercing stare, said, "The Akatsuki and Konoha are now allies. We shall give up the quest for the kyuubi,"

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Hidan was the first to reply, "You give up on the fucking nine tailed fox just like that?" And this he continued to curse.

As he cursed, Konoha Shinobi glanced at one another with relieved faces even if they had received far more than what they bargained for.

"Hidan, do you have any complaints?" Nagato asked, turning on his intimidating aura.

"Fuck yeah I do! What the hell is this about us and konoha together? This is bullshit!"

Nagato stood calmy and replied, "If you do not like the terms, then leave the Akatsuki. This is the same for the rest of you. However, you all know the consequences for leaving the organization."

Chills ran down the Konoha shinobis' spines as Pain spoke. His voice was so threatening that the mere tone of it scared them—and that excluded the imagination of what exactly those _consequences_ were.

The tension, however, broke when certain claps were heard. Sakura had clapped her hands a few times to garner attention from them. "Come on guys, let's stop this petty fighting. Fighting is not the right way to solve things. Hidan nii, I know that bloodshed is your way of living, but…it's just not right." Sakura gave him a sympathetic look at did not faze the jashin follower.

"Fuck yeah it isn't right. But who the hell gives a damn? I like what I do!"

"Then let's make a bet." Although it was intended to Hidan, it was Kakuzu who gathered interest in it.

"A bet?" Kakuzu asked enthusiastically. This was because bets meant money and everyone knew how Kakuzu loved money.

"Yes, a bet. If I can change Hidan nii san's views, then he has to stop following the cult."

Hidan was about to reply but Sakura beat him to it.

"But if I don't, then you can leave Konoha and the Akatsuki unharmed." Her eyes held the glow she had when she spoke strongly at Pain. This vibrant green prevented Hidan from further arguing as he simply agreed to Sakura's terms.

"Well, now that that's done…shall we all go home?" She glanced at the Konoha nin who were smiling from ear to ear.

Eight Akatsuki members and sixteen Konoha shinobi left the building. Sakura held her head high as she reveled in her own success. She had convinced the Akatsuki, the deadliest organization in the shinobi world, to become their allies.

**XxxxxxX**

Rain poured from above Amegakure. Sakura, soaking wet, stood rubbing her arms. Sai, who had noticed her shivers, created an umbrella out of ink.

The Akatsuki had gone off to finalize some things while the teachers went off with them. It was only the Konoha 12 who sat together waiting for them to come out of the main base.

"Thank you, Sai" She whispered, puffs forming with every breath.

"No problem," Sai smiled widely.

But, Sakura was forced to escape from the umbrella when it dissipated into ink.

"What happened?"

Sai stood there confused, "I…I don't know,"

Sakura glanced down at herself to find a blotch on the center of her chest where the heart was, "Aw, and I thought I could keep it clean."

"I'm sorry Sakura"

"It's okay Sai"

At that moment, Kakashi appeared and told everyone that it was time to go.

Smiling, Sakura stood along with the others and followed Kakashi.

**XxxxxxX**

**-I don't believe this. 34 pages! Without double space! Well…This should at least make up for my absence. Also…I should warn you guys…the next chapter might…well yeah. xD Don't wanna make any promises**

**-So…too long? Draggy? Please share your views. I think I've degraded. ==**

**-If you find any errors, please tell me. R&R people :D**

**- "If this is Love, then I don't want it" (Madam Obscurum)**


	20. Chapter 16: The Forest

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-kyaa I'm so glad to see that my reviewers still look out for my updates! 3 I love you all so much! To those who put me on alert, I'd appreciate it if you reviewed at least once? :D Preeetttyyy pleaaasee? :D**

**-To those who requested for ItaSaku moments, you got them. xD My previous chapter kinda paved way to Ita Saku action. To SasuSaku lovers, I'm not certain what will happen between these two but let's wait and see. And if you want a completed SasuSaku story from me, read ****Winter Wonderland**** and check out ****Koori no Sakura's**** prologue. To those who want more ItaSaku, please watch out for updates on ****The Beast and the Beauty.**** Also, please view my new poll because all of my stories have either working titles or titles and better synopsis(es?)**

**-And I put up some new story plots. Go check them out :D**

**-Yes, this is to make up for two months of being gone. :D But…I'm afraid I may disappear for some time again D: School beckons for me and I may be out for some time. So, chapter 17, may take some time again. :D 3 I love you guys! Please review guys! **

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 16**

**~The Forest~**

A rather large group of twenty-six people walked together through the vast forest. They had traveled for half a day and had yet to be half way to Konoha. The day was getting old and the sun was starting to set. Akatsuki and Konoha shinobi decided to camp for the night although there were several complaints and a little more arguments before it was settled.

The campsite was an ordinary, temporary place. There was a campfire set in the middle and sleeping bags all over the place; however, the Konoha and Akatsuki were separated by an invisible line. It was only Sakura and Naruto who sat in the middle of this invisible line and interacted with both sides.

Sakura being in the middle was something to be expected. She was close to both sides and had the right to be safe among them. However, Naruto was different. He was 'unsafe' being near the Akatsuki…or so the Konoha nin viewed it. But, since the 'alliance', Naruto gave an effort to be close towards the Akatsuki and 'make friends'. Of course, only a select few agreed with him.

Konoha sat by cells. Team Kurenai and Team Asuma sat close to one another while Kakashi, Yamato and team Gai sat with one another. At this point, Team Kakashi was separated. Sai and Sasuke chose to be aloof as Naruto as Sakura were with the Akatsuki.

Naruto, Sakura and Akatsuki sat in a circle. Naruto sat between Deidara and Sakura who was next to Itachi. The others sat in a circular form: Kisame next to Itachi, Hidan and Kakuzu next, Nagato and Konan, and finally Sasori who sat next to Deidara.

"Yo, Kyuubi, aren't you worried that we might get you?" Kisame, smirking, asked the blonde who replied with a sheepish grin, "No way."

Sakura basked in the amazing feeling she was having. Her two 'families' were slowly merging. This way, she didn't have to worry about choosing sides. This peace, this calm, friendly atmosphere was what she loved the most. It was a shame that not everyone joined in. But, she thought they would, eventually, all get along—at least she hoped they would.

"Kisame nii kun, stop calling Naruto, Kyuubi. He has a name you know!" Sakura chuckled at the blue skinned man who chuckled back and sighed mockingly in defeat.

"Fine fine, Na-ru-to then."

"Naruto," kakashi appeared behind the blonde, "There're some things I'd like to talk to you about." He said with a lazy posture on, his hand on his waist and the other on his book.

"What about?" Naruto inquired, with beady blue eyes that refused to leave.

"It's about the ramen you brought. They're being eaten by ants…" Kakashi grinned, his exposed eye turning into slits from the wideness of his eyes.

While Kakashi's shrunk and turned into slits, Naruto's widened and bulged. He jolted up and ran to his backpack. "NO! MY RAMEN!"

Sakura slapped her forehead, "Ugh…Naruto you idiot…"

Deidara grinned, "He's a funny fellow, hmph,"

"Reminds me of you, blonde," Hidan remarked from the side.

The _blonde_ scowled at the jashin cult follower and turned his attention to Sakura. "So Sakura chan, we've missed so much of your life. How've you been?" he kept a kind face on because he wanted to get along with Sakura. Sakura being dead, before, didn't mean that he had erased all feelings of her from his heart.

"Oh I've been fine. I'm quite grateful that where I ended up was Konoha and not some other place. I mean—" She paused, "not that I didn't enjoy living with my nii sans. It's just—I mean I could've in some desolate area right?"

"Nice optimism," Kisame praised, Samehada hanging on his back.

Sakura beamed a smile at him and giggled.

While Deidara, Kisame and Sakura caught up on one another—with side comments once in a while from Hidan—the rest of the Akatsuki simply watched Sakura. It was amazing, really, how things turned out. And they were grateful, if it was in their nature, that Sakura was safe and sound. But, among those who reveled in the wonders of this miracle, it was Itachi who was silently grateful for everything. He was glad—his angel had come back.

Itachi spent the trip from Amegakure to where they were now in silence. He neither spoke, looked at his brother, nor replied to Kisame's remarks; Instead, he stared at Sakura. She had grown. He had noticed this before when they met again, but he never took in the details.

The last he remembered Sakura, she didn't wear a bra. Now, he assumed she wore chest straps or some kunoichi gear to keep them in place. Her once long hair was cut short. He liked her with long hair, but he didn't mind this look either. The shortness of her hair made her look stronger, tougher—and she probably was. With the way Sakura faced their leader, Itachi could tell that she was indeed stronger.

"Itachi nii san?" Sakura called out because he seemed to be somewhere else. Ah, so she had not changed so much. She still had that sweet tone in her voice when she spoke—the voice he loved to hear.

"Hn?" He asked giving her a blank crimson stare.

She grinned. A smile he thought he would never see again. Then she spoke with that angelic smile and that sweet voice—a combination that was hard to resist. But, Itachi would resist the temptation to hold her.

Kisame, from Itachi's side, came up with a devious plan. Out of all the Akatsuki, he understood Itachi—although he himself did not. But among all of them, he did. He knew that Itachi was different when it came to Sakura just like all of them. But, Itachi's feelings towards her were probably far more 'intimate' and 'longing' than Deidara's or the rest. Since the main base, he hadn't touched her or called out her name. But, he knew—he had a gut feeling—that Itachi wanted to touch Sakura again.

"Hey, squirt," Kisame called out to Sakura who responded by turning her attention to him.

"What is it, Kisame nii kun?"

"Why don't you sit on Itachi's lap like the old days?"

Itachi, sensing danger in his words, glared at the blue skinned man. His gaze was fixed on the blue skinned man's beady eyes that he failed to see Sakura's red face.

"Ah—I—" Sakura stuttered. She didn't know why, but she felt so embarrassed. What was so embarrassing about it? She had always done it so shamelessly in front of others, so why did she blush and feel hot all over when she thought of Itachi's arms around her—wrapped up in his arms, feeling his chisel hard chest on her own chest, hands locked on her waist, his breath on her cheek—Sakura snapped out of her thoughts as she turned a dark red.

Whereas Itachi did not notice her dark face, because his attention was elsewhere, the rest of the Akatsuki noticed. They grinned and sneered, save for Deidara who was against it, "Oi! Sakura chan doesn't want it, yeah! Now, Sakura chan, if you want, you can sit on mine instead, hmph." His suggestion brought stares, glares and frowns at the blonde who questioned their reactions. But, to make it clearer, Sasori knocked him on the head with his wooden arm, and it hurt. "Ow! Sasori danna! What the hell?"

"Don't be an idiot, boy. I told you years ago to give up…" Sasori remarked. He was not in Haruko because it had been damaged during the fight.

"Che—hmph"

"Give it up, blonde. You've got no match for Uchiha," Hidan mocked from the side.

"What was that, yeah, you zombie?" Deidara retaliated

"I said you've got no fucking chance against Itachi, you 'yeah' freak!"

"Say that again you bastard, hmph!" By now, Deidara and Hidan were standing and glaring at one another. In a split second, Sasori and Kakuzu stood up holding down their partners. Sasori and Kakuzu glanced at one another before sighing at the rashness and stupidity of their partners.

**XxxxxxX**

From the other side, the Konoha nin watched Deidara and Hidan scream at each other and struggle in their partner's arms. Naruto, who was next to Kiba, Shikamaru, Shino and Chouji laughed, "And I thought we were the only ones who did that."

"Heh, yeah," Shikamaru agreed, "It seems like they're more normal than I thought."

Chouji, who was snacking on some chips, nodded. And, with food in his mouth, said, "Maybwie we cthan be fwends with thwem?" Translation: Maybe we can be friends with them?

Kiba, who still had some lingering bits of hatred and as stubborn headed as he was, refused, "Well with each other they might be. But, to us it may be different."

"But I became friends with them!" Naruto remarked at Kiba. Really, all he wanted to do was believe in Sakura's belief and make peace with these killers. Even if they were killers, weren't they killers too? After all, they had killed their own set of people in the past. It's just that who they killed weren't the innocent. But, when the Akatsuki ransacked villages and killed shinobi, weren't they doing the same?

"However, Naruto, Kiba has a point. And, they might just be getting you to trust them in order for them to easily capture you." Shino spoke in his ever stoic and deep voice.

"Yeah, so you better watch out, dude." Kiba warned.

"Yeah…" Naruto said sullenly. He had doubts about the Akatsuki, true, but he wanted to believe that they were really nice people just like Sakura did.

**XxxxxxX**

"You two, settle down." Nagato ordered. His brows were furrowed and his hand was twitching to grab the two.

Upon sensing Nagato's deathly aura, Hidan and Deidara forced themselves to shut up and sit down.

As soon as they did, Kisame returned the subject to what it earlier was, "So how about it then? Itachi san's lap?" He had that Sharky grin on his face and his beady eyes sparkled more than usual. Itachi could sense some ploy playing in that head of his.

For a moment, Sakura glanced at Itachi. Her cheeks were red, and her emerald eyes were trembling with uncertainty. She looked like she was going to say something, her moist cherry pink lips shone brightly at him. Itachi felt something bubble in him that he did not want to make reason of. That feeling urged him to grab Sakura and do things he had long wanted to do with her but couldn't then and now. "What is it, Sakura?"

Sakura felt her body heat up after hearing her name roll of his tongue. His voice was as she remembered: deep, velvety, smooth and ever so alluring. "May I?" She said through heated breath.

Itachi who had the urge to hold her wanted to tell her 'no' because if he did, he was afraid of what he would do. It had been a long time since he held her, and this gap of not being able to hold her may push him to do things in front of everyone—Things he only did when they were alone and she was unaware. But what _if _he said no? Would she be disappointed or would she be relieved? If he did hold her, the chances of him doing _something_ were slim. His brain battled with his heart which was something rare because Uchiha Itachi was all about reasoning and.

He nodded to Sakura with a soft grunt to tell her 'no I do not mind'. Sakura obliged and crept up to his lap. Sitting on it, she settled down and tensed when she realized Itachi's hands had rested on her waist although it was barely visible to the other Akatsuki members. To them, Itachi had his hands on his side and Sakura sat on his lap. As a child, it was often like this. She would sit on his lap and his hands would settle on her waist. But why did it feel so different this time? The blush she had earlier stayed on her face as she tried to find words to say.

Kisame grinned, pride brimming in his chest. _I bet you're happy, Itachi san._

However, if Itachi was happy, he didn't show it. His gaze remained blank and his body unmoving.

**XxxxxxX**

Up in his tree, Sasuke growled when he saw Sakura sit on his elder brother's lap with a deep blush on her face. Driven mad with jealousy, he unsheathed his Katana and drove it into the tree. His teeth gnashed as he repeated it several times until a huge hole appeared on the bark of the tree. "Hn"

He jumped down from the tree and landed on the ground. But, as he felt the earth meet his feet, a sudden pain took over his ribs. During his fight with Itachi, he had landed several blows on Itachi, but in turn, Itachi did the same. Then why was it that he was feeling it and Itachi wasn't?

Ino was the first to notice Sasuke's staggering. She noticed him jump down and notice him wince in pain when he did. She rushed to his side and placed a glowing hand on his ribs. "Hey, your ribs are—" she was cut off when Sasuke gave her a glare. But, Ino knew that the pain he was feeling would weigh him down. Rushing, she went to Sakura.

"Forehead!"

The pinkette, who had previously been blushing because she could feel Itachi's body behind her, glanced at the rushing blue-eyed blonde. "What is it, pig?"

Akatsuki glanced at one another at the weird nicknames they had for one another. The Diedara look-a-like looked panicked. And true enough, she was.

"It's Sasuke! He's hurt! He needs medical attention!" Frantic, she hurried Sakura who bolted up at the mention of his name—much to Itachi and Kisame's disappointment.

"Excuse me," Sakura curtly said to the Akatsuki as she rushed off to heal Sasuke.

"Ah…isn't that disappointing. She pays attention to your brother more than you, Itachi san…" It wasn't meant to tease Itachi, but it worked that way too.

Itachi glanced at Kisame, "Hn…That doesn't matter…"

_ So you say… _Kisame thought to himself.

The Akatsuki turned their attention to Sakura when they heard her voice, "Sasuke kun! Why didn't you say anything?"

"hn," the younger Uchiha grunted with that stubborn look on his face.

Sakura set the Uchiha so he leaned on the bark of the tree. With one firm hand on his shoulder, and the other over his ribs, she let green aura ooze from her hand.

"Whoa! When'd Sakura chan learn to do that, yeah?" Deidara snuck a look at their Sakura healing someone.

"Sakura chan's our best medic nin!" Naruto proudly said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Medic nin?" Deidara asked, "Those are rare, yeah?"

"Indeed they are," Sasori, intrigued, said from Deidara's side. "It's such a surprise that the Sakura we knew grew to be so skilled with her chakra control."

"Heh, the squirt's grown…" Kisame chuckled.

"But…that's not all Sakura can do," Kakashi stood reading his Icha Icha paradise, "She's capable of a lot of things."

Itachi glanced at the gray haired copy nin, "Where did Sakura learn to do this?" he was curious. Itachi had tried training Sakura as a child, but she showed no prospect in ninjutsu or taijutsu. But, she did have excellent perception when it came to genjutsu—probably because he would often expose her to paradise-like illusions to calm her.

Kakashi tore his gaze away from his book and onto Itachi's, "Sakura is the Hokage's apprentice. She was taken under her and personally trained by her. If I knew, Sakura has the ability to surpass Tsunade sama."

"I see…" was all Itachi could remark before returning to watch his little pinkette.

When Sakura had finished, she let a passing glowing hand run through his ribs. Seeing everything was alright, she pulled back and grinned at Sasuke, "There. All better. Next time, lower your pride and come see me. It's more pitiful if someone finds out." With her cheeky grin, she nudged Sasuke who grunted in his embarrassment.

Deidara, who had seen Sakura's handiwork, was impressed. He popped behind Sakura, "Hey, Sakura chan, if you can fix his ribs, you think you can fix a detached limb?" And he said such a not-so-casual phrase with an oh-so-casual tone.

"What?" Sakura lifted a brow but soon found both brows lifting and her eyes bulging when Deidara pulled out his hand…with his other hand. "IYA!" Sakura took a step back seeing Deidara's arm being held by his other arm. His arm was detached from where his elbow should have been. It was a good thing the sinews were dried a little because it eased the nauseating feeling everything was getting. However, Sakura still felt her blood turn cold as she turned a deep shade of purple.

Deidara, who was _supposed_ to be in a lot of pain, was grinning widely with a 'pleeeeaaasseee' look on his face.

Regaining her composure—or sanity—, Sakura straightened herself and hesitantly took his arm. "Er…come over here then…" She tried her best to think of Deidara's arm as a stick—yes, a wooden lifeless stick. But, she would lose that thought when she'd feel the squishiness and the bone inside of it.

When she reached the Akatsuki area, she set his arm down and motioned to Yamato-taichou, "Yamato taichou, could you possibly make a table with straps or something to hold a person down?"

Deidara felt the blood go down to his feet. Why would they need to hold him down?

Yamato, obliging, did a few handseals and created a wooden table.

Sakura instructed Deidara to lie down on the wooden table and he did so hesitantly. He knew it was his idea, but he didn't like the look of things.

Next, Sakura motioned to Kakuzu, "Kakuzu nii san, can you come over here and help?"

Usually, he would do things for a price. But, it seemed that Sakura was the exception to this. He walked next to the medic nin, "How may I be of assistance?"

"Erm, I need to have some of your tendrils…if that's okay?"

He nodded summoning some string-like objects that he called tendrils. He again nodded when Sakura thanked him.

"Ino pig, mind helping me out here?"

"What can I do, forehead?"

"Knock Deidara nii chan out."

"Eh? You sure?"

"I mean with your mind techniques…"

"Oh…" Ino looked a little disappointed, but she obliged while whispering 'damn it' on the side.

Unsure of what was going to happen, Deidara struggled a bit but that was when the table came in handy. His arms—er arm—was locked down and so was his waist.

"Kisame nii, mind giving us some water? Sai, would you please make a bowl for me? Asuma sensei, may I borrow your chakra blades? And ten ten san, do you mind if I borrow some sharp needle-like weapons?"

The four complied and did what she requested. Suddenly, Sakura grabbed her Konoha ninja band and let her hair settle down. Then, with fluidity, she tied it up into a pony tail, "Hinata, neji san, please help me out by sensing if I hit any chakra points and if the chakra is clogging anywhere during my operation."

The cousins nodded as they did a handseal to activate their Byakugan.

Sakura took a deep breath and, with a curt nod, began the operation. She began by asking Kakuzu to continue producing tendrils as she sewed on Deidara's arm. When she had sewed it, she pulled the tendrils so there was a gap between his 'dead' arm and the rest of his 'living' arm.

With the water from Kisame placed in the bowl made by Sai, she gathered pieces of paper Konan summoned and used it as a towel to wipe of dirt from his arm. Carefully, she worked as the others watched and helped when they were asked. When the arm had been repaired, there came the hard part: making the chakra circulate.

She began asking everyone who had enough chakra reserves to infuse into different areas of Deidara's arm and body. But, there was a complication. Neji spotted an overflow of chakra somewhere near Deidara's veins that brought blood into his heart. Deidara began having a seizure. Quickly, Shikamaru and Sakura called for Sasuke who was unsure of what he could do.

Shikamaru, who had the same thought as Sakura, ordered Sasuke to let a small amount of electricity surge through Deidara. Focusing as little chakra as he could, he sent tiny sparks into Deidara's system. Fortunately, this stopped Deidara's seizure and he was once again stable.

After a few more minutes of uneventful operating, Sakura stood back and with a sigh of relief thanked everyone for helping out. She dropped onto the ground, like the Konoha nin, and panted. The operation took more than what she thought it would take, but it was successful. When Deidara would wake up, he would be able to use both arms again.

"Thanks everyone!"

Nagato, who had stood by watching Sakura work with the Akatsuki and Konoha nin with perfect harmony, grinned when no one would see him save for Konan.

"What's on your mind? Konan asked, her blue hair a dark midnight blue against the night sky.

"Nothing," he answered, "I was just thinking about…"

"About?"

"About how I think I made the right decision for all of us. If what Sakura told me was true…then maybe she is right. Maybe there is a chance to save everyone…save everyone from him."

Konan stood silently. _…For him_ And in the back of her mind, Konan knew who that _him_ was.

**XxxxxxX**

Late into the night, Deidara awoke overjoyed to see that both his arms functioned perfectly. He was going to hug Sakura and thank her when Sasori dragged him to their own corner and warned him not to disrupt Sakura's rest.

Tired from the operation, Sakura lay asleep next to Itachi and Sasuke. Sasuke was on her right, and Itachi was on her left. Neither wanted to be so close to one another, but both wanted to be close to Sakura. It was that mutual want that made the two siblings be a foot away and not attack each other.

"You…raised her well…" The silence was killing Sasuke. And, as much as he _hated_—though that was an understatement—Itachi, he would have to bear with this in order to be close to her. However, he didn't know that Itachi felt the same way.

"Hn…" was all Itachi could reply. Silence followed and they were stuck in the same position again: Silence choking the very life out of them, "You've become stronger," It was Itachi's turn to try and cut the silence.

"Hn," was all Sasuke could reply. Again, Silence followed and they were stuck in the same position again: Silence choking the very life out of them.

"This isn't going anywhere," Sasuke remarked.

"True…" Itachi replied

Another pass of silence came and disappeared when both brothers smirked.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Itachi whispered.

"Aa…" Sasuke then fell into a sullen state, "Well…since _that_ happened…"

"…" Itachi was silent. There were no words that could come out of his mouth rather, he didn't have anything to say…save for this: "In time…you will know…"

Sasuke perked up and, for the first time, looked Itachi in the eyes with a different emotion besides hatred and killing intent, "what do you mean?"

In response, Itachi shifted, and let Sakura's head rest on his lap. He didn't speak, reply or look at Sasuke who furrowed his brows wondering what Itachi meant.

Seeing that Itachi was unwilling to tell, Sasuke gave up and leaned against the bark of the tree. Eventually, he fell asleep and his head slipped and fell onto Sakura's waist whose head was on Itachi's lap. Soon, Itachi, too, had fallen asleep like the other two.

**XxxxxxX**

"Seeing those two trying hard _not_ to kill each other is unusual…" Nagato commented.

"Aa," Kakashi agreed, his book still on his hand, but his gaze at the Uchiha brothers with Sakura nestled between them.

"Pain," came a voice. Naruto appeared out of the shadows with a seriousness Kakashi rarely saw. Kakashi figured that it was a build up of events because earlier on, when Naruto was with the Akatsuki, he had talked to everyone except Nagato.

Nagato could only stare as Naruto's face shifted from one emotion to the next until it bubbled and bursted, "I'M ANGRY WITH YOU FOR KILLING THE PERVY SAGE!" Naruto panted, his face flickering with several emotions at the same time.

Nagato lowered his gaze. Indeed, he had killed his master. And, perhaps, Naruto, too, saw Jiraiya as his master. "Yes…I killed him…" his impassive voice sounded through the wind's high shrilling.

"That's right…I should be hating you…"

"Then why don't you?"

"Because…" He pulled out a book from his pocket and dropped it in front of Nagato, "…I promised the pervy sage and Sakura. And, I don't go back on my promises. That's my ninja way." Naruto spoke with a determination Nagato had long forgotten.

Sighing, Nagato picked up the book and held it tight within his grasp, "Perhaps…if we met on a battlefield…I would have been defeated by you." He said, "Or at least, I would have yielded to you. Really, the present generation amazes me…" A ghost of a smile faded into his face then disappeared.

Naruto sat down and looked straight into Nagato's eyes, "You…" his eyes never left his face, "you should pay for what you did to the pervy sage…"

"Kill me then?"

"Ack—Didn't I tell you I can't? Besides, I didn't mean that."

"What would you have me do then?"

"Well you already began by siding with Konoha."

"And I suppose begin means that there is a middle and an end?"

"Yeah,"

"So what else must I do then?" his ringed eyes stared into Naruto's blue eyes

Naruto grinned at his question and chuckled, "Well, you can make friends with us and make the rest of your organization to be friends with all of us too," Then his eyes turned serious, "That way, this treaty isn't just as good as an alliance. But…" he gave a wide but sad smile, "this treaty will be as strong as bonds."

"Bonds…you say?" Nagato gave naruto a blank stare before nodding, "I only hope that this is to the best of everyone."

"You won't be sorry!" Naruto chuckled and wound an arm around Nagato's shoulder who reeled back at the sudden touch. "Ah, now I can sleep in peace and dream about Ramen and my Hinata…" In a split second, Naruto fell asleep and landed on the ground next to Nagato who stared surprised at the blonde.

"You better get used to that from now on," Kakashi said after chuckling to himself at the blonde's silliness.

"He leaves himself open to attacks?"

"No…he just trusts you."

Nagato found himself at a loss for words. But, he soon realized that there was no need for words. Instead, sleep was the only solution.

**XxxxxxX**

"Oi, Kakuzu, what are you doing?" Hidan asked from the sidelines.

Kakuzu was sitting on a rock staring up at the night sky, "If every star was a piece of gold coin, I would've been rich by now…"

Hidan scowled at his partner, "ha, I wish they were bodies I could sacrifice to Jashin"

"What is Jashin to you?" Kakuzu turned to his partner.

"Didn't you realize it by now? He's my god."

"You say he is a god, I say he's just a kinjutsu" Kakuzu spoke unafraid of the consequences he might receive.

Hidan swung his scythe and pointed it at kakuzu's neck, "You dare insult Jashin?"

"Is there something wrong with insulting something that doesn't exist?"

Hidan raised his scythe ready to swing it. He swung it downwards with a forceful motion, but Kakuzu was quick enough to block his attack. "Look, I'm not sure whether your Jashin exists or if some other divine entity exists. I've always been someone who looked at the concrete things. But, even I know what is morally wrong."

"Tch—fuck morals. My dogma is all about bloodshed, death and—"

"Then your dogma is fucked up"

"Why you—"

Kakuzu grabbed Hidan with his tendrils, "I've lived for 91 years now and I've seen death far more than you. I never said anything to you because I didn't care about anything you or anyone else did."

"And let me guess, li'l pink bitch changed that?"

"No, I don't care about others I just end up caring because I care about her,"

"Heh, pedophile—"

"You know I don't care about her in that way,"

"So what, she's your granddaughter?"

Kakuzu lowered Hidan and pushed him away, "And what if I said yes?"

"Keh—I'd rather have the money obsessed Kakuzu,"

"I'm just trying to atone for my mistakes before it's too late"

"Atone? In my eyes you're doing a fucking good job in serving Jashin"

"I don't serve Jashin"

"Yeah but in my eyes—"

"In yours and his, if he exists, eyes. But what you do, and what I did, was wrong."

"You know what, fuck this. Let me do what I want!"

"As I said, I'm unsure if there's really hell. But to be remembered as something bad, my name going down in history as a 'bad' man, that's hell for me. I never had anyone precious in my entire life because of my immaturity. I don't know with you, but I wouldn't want to be alone for the rest of my life OR remembered as…like this…a killer"

"Heh, too late. It's branded all over you,"

"If there's something I learned from Sakura, someone much younger than I, is that it's never too late. You should listen to other people once in a while. If you win the bet with Sakura and you do leave the Akatsuki and Konoha, you'll find that you have nothing. And, that solitude is probably the worst kind of hell. Besides, whether Jashin or not exists, I'm sure he wouldn't accept you for everything that you do unlike real friends. Jashin won't be there to save you when you've fallen and dying. On the contrary, I think Jashin will be the death of you." Kakuzu stood, not once looking at Hidan and walked away muttering words like 'stars made into money' and 'a star gazing business'.

Hidan stood there, his shadow stretching against the moon's rays. His thoughts engulfed him and forced him into a blank state.

**XxxxxxX**

Kisame sat beneath a tree drinking a bottle of Sake when Gai appeared out of nowhere and sat next to him.

"Yo," Gai said with his 'nice guy' pose.

Kisame just stared at the green spandex-dressed man with an odd look, "Er…you want some?" He offered his bottle.

"Well, don't mind if I do! Ah the youthfulness of Sake!" Gai was about to tip the bottle when Neji and Tenten appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the bottle.

"NO!" They both yelled in unison. They turned to the blue skinned man, "How could you let him drink sake?" Tenten scolded, "Rule # 1, do NOT let Gai sensei or Lee drink sake EVER!"

Kisame could only blink as he was stunned by the entire scene before him, "And what happens when drinks sake?"

"He loses it" Neji said glaring at his _odd_ sensei.

Suddenly, Lee came in and grabbed the sake bottle, "Gai sensei! I should have sake too!"

"LEE!" Tenten yelled trying to grab the bottle.

Neji tried grabbing the bottle from Lee but he was too quick. By the time Neji grabbed the bottle, Lee had drunk a little bit of the sake. Neji and Tenten stared at one another as Lee fell into a still state.

"Heh, so he gets quiet, isn't that a good thing?" Kisame sneered from the sidelines, opening another bottle of sake.

Tenten and Neji held Lee tightly.

"Here it comes!" Tenten said holding tightly onto Lee.

"Aa be careful!" Neji ordered.

Then, as if a volcano was erupting, Lee shook and then suddenly, he began yelling. With a strong force, the was able to throw off Neji and Tenten.

"Ah what sheer youthful force Lee! Wonderful!"

"It's not wonderful!" Tenten yelled grabbing onto lee's foot.

Kisame, awed by the sudden force of Lee took note of never EVER showing sake to the green spandex-wearing kid and his teacher.

**XxxxxxX**

Shikamaru sighed as Lee rampaged into the forest with the rest of team Gai following after them.

"Eh, Lee san is so weird…" Ino commented, her hands on her waist.

"Myeah" Chouji remarked eating his third pack of chips, "Shikamaru, shouldn't we help them?"

"…nah" Shikamaru lay down and watched the stars, "Che…there're no clouds tonight…"

Asuma sat with Kurenai holding his pack of cigarettes, "Oi, Shikamaru, help them out"

Shikamaru, annoyed, sat up, "Eh?"

"Go on…" Asuma ordered, "Ino, Chouji you too"

"Hmph, you just want to be alone with Kurenai san" Ino snickered and before Asuma could retaliate, they dashed after team Gai.

**XxxxxxX**

Kiba, Shino and Akamaru sat comfortably somewhere aloof from the rest. Akamaru curled up sleeping next to Kiba as Shino sat quietly. Kiba had his arms folded behind his head as he rested against Akamaru, "What a day…Oi Hinata, where're you going?"

Hinata, who had earlier been sitting around quietly, had stood up. "U-um, I-I'll g-go get N-Naruto k-kun…" She said in her shy voice.

"Ah…okay" Kiba remarked and watched Hinata walk off towards Naruto.

"A-Ano…K-kakashi s-sensei," She said while twiddling her fingers together.

"Oh Hinata, what is it? Come to pick up Naruto?"

Hinata nodded with a blush on her cheeks.

Kakashi stood, placing his book in his pocket and grabbed Naruto by the collar.

Pain, who was awakened by close movement, glanced up at Kakashi.

"Ah, I'm just taking Naruto to his girlfriend's place"

Pain nodded and dozed off again, this time leaning his head on Konan's shoulder.

When Hinata heard girlfriend, she turned a dark red and steam came from her ears.

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about, Hinata" kakashi grinned and carried Naruto off to where Kiba and Shino were before returning to his post.

Hinata set Naruto's head on her lap and stroked the sleeping Kyuubi container's blonde hair with a content smile on her face.

**XxxxxxX**

"This is hopeless!" Ino panted huffing and puffing, "Lee san is too fast! I can't even keep him still!"

"There's nothing we can do. Lee's speed is one of the best…" Tenten said from Ino's right. She too was worn out from running around.

Only Neji and Shikamaru seemed to be able to keep up with Lee's movements. Many times, Shikamaru tried to stop Lee with his shadow bind and many times he failed because there was a limited amount of shadows to manipulate. The darkness of the night was a disadvantage when the moon wasn't out.

A green blur ran past Chouji, Ino and Tenten and the three were alerted when two more blurs ran past them.

"Shikamaru!"

"Lee, Neji!"

Lee sped off, drunken, and headed towards where Sasori and Deidara were idley sitting around.

Shikamaru, seeing Sasori and Deidara, called out, "Oi! Stop that guy!"

Sasori glanced up and didn't move when Lee zoomed past him.

Shikamaru, pissed off, stopped and yelled, "OI! Can't you see that we're trying to catch him? Why can't you just help out even a little bit?" Neji continued running after Lee.

"Shikamaru!" Ino came and held Shikamaru back, "I'm sorry he's acting this way." She turned to Shikamaru, "Stop it, they have nothing to do with this" How Shikamaru was acting was ironic because he was once this indifferent too.

"If they were still the enemy, that would be true. But they have an alliance and they're expected to help!" Shikamaru groaned and began running off when Deidara and Sasori glanced at each other and smirked.

However, this only pissed Shikamaru more. He turned towards them with a glare.

"Whoa, calm down, yeah" Deidara said, "really, Itachi was right. Konoha nin get too emotional"

Shikamaru felt his wrist grip tightly. But, he knew that getting angry would only further delay catching Lee.

"You get your emotions get rid of your rational thinking" Sasori commented

If there was something far annoying than them insulting Konoha nin, it was them insulting his rationality. Shikamaru took a step and was about to lunge at them when Sasori lifted his finger and pulled on something invisible to the naked eye. But, Shikamaru was perceptive. He noticed the chakra attached to his fingers. _Chakra strings? He wants to fight?_

**XxxxxxX**

Back with Lee and Neji, Neji was gaining on Lee. He closed in on him until he was able to grab him by the shoulder, "LEE!" He called out. Finally, he was able to catch Lee with his incredibly annoying speed. However, his achievement was short lived when Lee slipped from his grasp and was dragged backwards towards where the others were. "What the—" Neji began running again.

**XxxxxxX**

Shikamaru was ready to battle and Ino was ready to stop him. When Shikamaru sensed something coming his way, he tensed and jumped away when something landed near him.

"You shouldn't let your emotions get the best of you," Sasori said with his cold gaze. Tied to the end of his chakra string was a sleeping Lee.

Shikamaru had stumbled when he jumped. Where he sat, he stared at Sasori and Deidara who were smirking at him. Embarrassed, he got up and reluctantly thanked them.

Then, Neji popped out of the woods and stopped near Lee. Panting, he sighed in relief, "lee you idiot…"

**XxxxxxX**

Yamato kept a close eye on everyone who wasn't in groups, particularly at Sai. It wasn't that he didn't trust him. But, it was because he was technically still a part of ROOT. He was sitting high up in a tree sketching away with that wide smile of his.

In that high up tree, Sai was sketching the entire scene before him: Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Neji, Tenten, Sasori and Deidara smirking and laughing with one another while a sleeping lee lay down on the ground. Kisame and Gai sat next to each other: Gai was trying to take a sip but Kisame was trying his best to keep it away from him. Kurenai and Asuma sat next to one another. Naruto lay on Hinata's lap while Shino, Kiba and Akamaru sat close to one another just talking. Hidan stood quietly alone as did Kakuzu who was staring up at the sky muttering inaudible words to himself. Kakashi sat reading his book, once in a while glancing and smiling at everyone's actions. Nagato had his head on Konan's shoulder and they were both asleep. Yamato kept watching him, Sai knew but he didn't mind. And finally, the image that stood out among the rest, the Uchiha brothers comfortably nestled with Sakura Haruno…

Indeed, it was a moment worthy of drawing. Finishing off with the last stroke, Sai signed his name at the bottom. This picture didn't have a title just like his other drawings. However, this time, it wasn't because he could think of nothing, but because he found no need for it.

**XxxxxxX**

**-Yey it was finished in one day. xD I had extra relaxing time before studying for my term exams. Though…this chapter was kinda…boring? You decide :D**

**-I hope you guys picked up the themes/allegories. **

**-Yeah so Itasaku scene there, NaruHina, KureAsu, Pain/NagatoKonan, etc. :D **

**-So yeah, just a sorry for taking long and something to read before I might disappear for another length of time xD. The only reason I was able to write this was because…well it was a sort of splurge before I went back into reality and began studying for the exams. xD Good luck to me :D **

**-Oh and if you guys want to talk to me, for whatever reasons, feel free to PM me. I may not be able to write my chapters, but I check my emails. :D**

**- "Thus the wolf and the little girl became friends" (-Madam Obscurum, heh an inspiration for a new story)**


	21. Chapter 17: A Warm Welcome:Welcome Home?

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-Squee thank you so much for your kind reviews! 3 please send in more reviews :D**

**-My god, only two chapters and Koori gained this much attention already? I'm tempted to pay more attention to it than tabula rasa. xD But no, I will put my efforts into Tabula Rasa first. =))**

**-ItaSaku, ShikaIno, KisaKane (KisaXOC) moments =)) **

**-I'd like to dedicate the ItaSaku moments to Itachi5lover1 on . :D This person is incredibly awesome at making ItaSaku videos and in my opinion is the best ItaSaku amv maker :D She always calls my muse back whenever I have writer's block =3 So, to fellow ItaSaku fans, please watch her videos, rate her high, leave good comments, subscribe and what-not :D**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 17**

**~A Warm Welcome: Welcome Home…?~**

Midnight blue turned to purple, light blue, and dark orange when the sun awoke from its slumber. Up and up it slowly rose until the entire sky reflected its rays and erased all signs of the moon's reign.

Emerald green fluttered open to the sunlight's kisses, "…Mmm…" Slowly, she lifted her upper body only to feel a certain weight on her waist. With groggy eyes, she glanced down and saw the younger Uchiha's head leaning on her waist.

She smiled.

Her fingers raked his hair to slowly wake him up, " Sasuke kun…" she called out. Seeing Sasuke, she remembered his confession towards her. _I love you_. She inwardly cringed at the words. Why couldn't she say that she loved him too? She did, didn't she?

She had loved him at a young age and she had always loved him since. She cared for him like a lover, she worried about him as if she were his lover, she spoke to him as if she were his lover, but her gentle actions and the way her heart beat around him were not of a lover's.

He stirred in his sleep and awoke. Seeing her emerald eyes, Sasuke let out a refreshed, small smile. But, his eyes narrowed when he saw the person behind Sakura. He remembered that he fell asleep while Sakura lay on Itachi's lap and was forced to squeeze on her side.

Sakura, curious of Sasuke's odd reaction, glanced towards the direction where Sasuke was glaring. She let out a gasp when she realized Itachi was staring at her with his crimson red eyes. "Itachi nii san…?"

Itachi stretched out his hand and patted her on the head, "Good morning," he leaned in close to her ear like he did every morning back then and whispered, "…My cherry blossom…"

Sakura's cheeks heated as the blood rushed to her face, "Y-yes… g-good m-morning Itachi n-nii san…" She mentally slapped herself. What was wrong with her? She was acting like Hinata.

Sasuke glared at his brother, but Itachi ignored him—as usual. He rolled his eyes and stood. His white oversized shirt drooped at his shoulders, but he paid it no mind. He was too busy watching Sakura fluster and blush around his older brother. _Damn_. He clenched his teeth when no one would notice.

"Sakura chan! Good morning, yeah!" Deidara waved both his hands from the other side of the campsite. He rushed over to Sakura, "You did an amazing job, Sakura chan, hmph! They work perfectly, yeah!"

Sakura chuckled, "Good morning, Deidara nii chan. You're welcome, but don't thank only me. Everyone helped out, you know?"

Deidara fiddled with his hands, "uh well…yes hmph…but I wanted to thank you first…un" Towards others, Deidara was tough and quite arrogant. But around Sakura, he showed his cute side and often acted like a little child.

**XxxxxxX**

"N-naruto….w-wake u-up…!" Hinata was trying her best to wake up her _boyfriend_ from his deep slumber.

"Ah…Hinata chan…" He mumbled in his sleep.

Hinata blushed as her cheeks stained a dark red. She remembered the days when Naruto would mumble out 'Sakura' instead of 'Hinata' before.

"Hinata chan," Sakura stood bending over both of them with a smile on her face. Earlier, she was talking to their newly made allies. Now, she was probably doing her routine check up around the konoha nin. She breathed out a long sigh, "He isn't waking up again?"

Hinata shook her head, "N-no, b-but it's a-alright…"

"No it isn't, Hinata chan. I know you find him cute and all, but we've got a mission to accomplish." Sakura had a hand on her hip as she stretched her other hand towards Naruto. "Sorry, but you know I've got to do this…"

Deidara, Sasori, Kisame and Itachi lingered nearby and watched Sakura's every movement out of curiosity. They were intrigued by this grown up Sakura, and wanted to know more about her.

"What do you think she'll do to that Naruto guy, yeah?" Deidara had his head cocked to the side.

Sasori who looked on with a seemingly bored expression answered his partner, "She is probably checking up on her companions"

"Why didn't she check up on us, yeah? We're here companions too, hmph."

Kisame butted in the partners' conversation, "Do you honestly think we need checking up on?"

"No…" Deidara pouted, "But, it'd be nice if she would, un"

"Dream on Deidara," Kisame smirked from Itachi's side.

The elder Uchiha didn't pay attention to what they were saying. With his attention fixed on Sakura, his gaze and mind was only on Sakura. She watched him lift the jinchuuriki and shake him like a rag doll.

"Whoa…!" Kisame's beady eyes seemed to pop out of his head, "how…violent…" Sakura's vicious actions rendered the sharkman speechless.

As the need for an explanation dawned on the four, Sai popped out of nowhere with a book in hand, "Ugly always does that to everybody…" he said before walking off.

"Ugh," Deidara had his face stretched as if the sight of Sai disgusted him, "That boy gives me the creeps…"

"He called Sakura ugly…" Itachi's voice trailed off as if he were saying it to himself—no one but he heard it though.

"She does that to everybody?" the mental image of Sakura handing everyone like ragdolls weighed on Sasori's mind.

Back with the three, Naruto had begun opening his eyes. His slit like eyes, droopy and lazy from just waking up, opened to reveal blue eyes. But refreshed sea blue turned fearful as Sakura's angry face was the first thing he saw in the morning, "Ah…Sakura chan…good morning…?" He had a sheepish grin. It was the one he had on when he had done something mischievous, stupid or just something plain wrong.

"Okay everyone, time to go!" Kakashi stood beside Asuma and Nagato.

"Akatsuki," Nagato called out to those wearing the black robes patterened with red clouds, "We go." While Kakashi's was heart warming and welcoming, Nagato's was strict and cold.

And despite the pity they felt in their hearts, the Konoha nin found that it fit them. Only Sakura found that it didn't. To her, cold and cruel were _cold and cruel_ no matter who it was directed to. She let go of Naruto and gathered her things: a traveling pack and a cloak.

"Sakura," Itachi approached her in a slow and steady manner. Beside him was Kisame who had a sharky grin and Samehada on his shoulder, "Kisame will carry your things…" Itachi spoke and Sakura guessed that he didn't discuss what he said with Kisame because Kisame turned to Itachi with a surprised, horrified look.

"Wha?" Kisame, shocked, sighed and lowered his Samehada, "Fine…" Slumped shoulders and a pout, he walked towards Sakura.

"What? No, it's okay, I can carry it on my own." Sakura grinned sweat dropping on the side because it was obvious that Kisame was simply forced to carry her things.

"Don't mind it, Sakura. As you can see, Kisame agreed." Itachi placed his arm on Sakura's shoulder to pull her away from Kisame.

"Itachi nii san! Kisame nii kun doesn't want to so—" She was cut off when she heard a chuckle from Kisame.

"It's okay little squirt. I used to love doing things for you. Must've just gotten used to not doing anything anymore,"

"And believe him when he says not doing anything, hmph" Deidara commented on the side.

Kisame, not wanting to be _immature_, scowled at the blonde before returning his attention to Sakura, "So it's fine, really. You go walk with Itachi san and catch up on good times…" And as he grinned, at the back of his mind, Kisame knew what Itachi was trying to do.

**XxxxxxX**

The Aka-Kono group traveled two hours worth of distance. In several 'cliques', they moved at a walking pace and spoke casually with one another. Some Akatsuki were talking to Konoha shinobi who they had, somehow, gotten along with.

Among them were Deidara and Sasori who spoke to Sai—correction: argued. They were debating on the concept of _art_ and its true definition. Earlier on, the partners found out that the resident 'creepy guy'—as Deidara coined it—was an 'artist'. They began talking and eventually it led to the topic of what art was. Of course, Sasori and Deidara would never pass the opportunity to ask a third party who could relate to them. However, they didn't realize that Sai would only complicate things even more.

"How can you make something that is eternal instantaneous and something instantaneous eternal, hmph?" Deidara and Sasori had their brows furrowed at the wide-smiling Sai.

"Well, a true artist can capture something that happens for a fleeting moment and make it eternal and make something meant to be eternal into something that can disappear in an instant." Sai answered the blonde.

"Wha?" Deidara was confused.

"So which side are you on?" Sasori asked, his red hair fluttering in the soft breeze.

"No one's," was Sai's blunt answer. His eyes were turned into upside down u-shapes and he had his wide, plastic smile on.

His answer, however, only left Deidara and Sasori craving for a _proper_ answer. "Pick a side, yeah!" Deidara roared, "There's no such thing as being in the middle!"

"That's not true," Sai said, "Being in the middle just allows me to elude petty fights," Again, he stretched his smile at them.

"This guy…" Deidara had his fists and teeth clenched tightly.

"Oy," Yamato appeared, "Stop fighting," He held Sai by the shoulder who glanced at Yamato with a smile and walked away.

"What a weird guy…" Sasori commented on the side.

Yamato simply gave Sasori a quick glance before walking after Sai.

**XxxxxxX**

Sasuke was forced by Kakashi to stay near Naruto as his _bodyguard._ For all he knew, Kakashi just wanted him and Itachi to avoid fighting on their way to Konoha. Did Kakashi think that he would be so immature as to attack Itachi if he touched Sakura?

…Sasuke didn't bother answering that one. Kakashi probably thought he would.

The blond was chatting with Hinata as Naruto's arm was around her waist and the three of them walked together. Really, it was supposed to be _Sasuke_ holding _Sakura _by the waist and Naruto wishing he had someone by the waist and not the other way around with the exception of Hinata in Sakura's place. As Naruto spoke, Sasuke glanced at Sakura who walked alongside Itachi.

His eyes narrowed at Itachi who was drinking in Sakura's image with his eyes. And Sasuke wanted to badly gauge his eyes out. He mentally kicked himself. If he kept thinking about ways to kill Itachi then Kakashi would never let him near the two. He decided to bear it and ignore them...at least he tried to.

"Are you sure Kisame nii kun is fine?" Sakura asked with her hands folded behind her. Every once in a while, she would glance at Kisame to see how he was holding up.

"Don't worry about him. Just enjoy the way back to your home,"

"OUR home…" Sakura corrected him with a smile on her face.

"…hn…"

Sakura watched Itachi as he grew silent. She knew returning to Konoha bothered him, but she also knew that everything would be better. It would take some effort from both parties to accept everything, but if her friends, who were stubborn and hard-headed by the way, were able to do it then so can everyone else…right?

The silence stretched on until Itachi spoke, "You've really grown up…" he, himself, was in disbelief. Had so many years passed that she was now how old? 15? 16? 17? 18? He lost track of time and he felt as if he had wandered in some other dimension for all these years. But perhaps he just simply sunk into his own genjutsu.

"Aa…well…time has gone by…" Sakura gave a small smile, but deep in her heart she knew what Itachi was trying to say: _You've changed_. She drifted in and out of her thoughts and was so caught in them that she didn't notice a small rock in front of her. The rock tripped her and Sakura would've landed flat on her face if Itachi had not caught her and carried her.

Sakura, realizing her awkard position which was being carried like a bride by Itachi, blushed beat red, "A-ah, I-itachi nii san…I-I'm fine you can put me down now…" She winced in her vulnerable state. She felt his breath on her hair and the slow beating of his heart against his chest.

"It's fine, I'll carry you…" His gaze did not once turn to her. Instead, he kept his hands firm and his gaze at the road. Itachi was careful to avoid any obstacles that would hurt Sakura such as twigs or rocks that would make him trip.

"N-no, please, I insist," She panicked because the way he held her made her heart race and it was embarrassing for her, "please," She pleaded, "put me down…"

"You used to enjoy being carried when you were a child," Itachi stopped as he turned to Sakura.

"WHEN I was a child. I've grown up Itachi nii san…I don't need you to do these things anymore"

Itachi felt a hard pang in his heart. She didn't want to be carried? She didn't want him around? She grew up? Or did she simply not like Itachi anymore? It was possible. He had lied to her through the years, after all. Without a word, he put down Sakura and continued walking on.

Sakura felt her body stiffen. What did she do?

As if on cue, Kisame popped up behind her, "You don't know how devastated he was when found out you 'died', squirt. He probably just wanted to spend time with you…" Kisame was watching the entire scene from behind and prevented Deidara or anyone else to interfere. And, he was deeply disappointed when Sakura begged Itachi to put him down.

Itachi did not say anything to Sakura but it was obvious that he felt bad. He slowly walked, aware that Sakura was trailing nearby and watching him. But, no matter how much he could sense in her green eyes that she wanted to apologize, he would not let her—not until she thought about what she did.

It was immature of him, but what could he do? Years of not being together and all he wanted was a chance to hold her again. And now that she had pushed him away because she had "grown up", he would make her regret it. He would make her feel sorry and make her run towards him to apologize like she always did in the past. He would not break, he would not apologize, he would not admit it was his fault—he never did.

**XxxxxxX**

The journey to Konoha took a few more hours and it was noon when they reached the towering gates of the village hidden in the leaves.

"Ah we're finally home!" Kiba was the first to release his relief. He stretched his arms up into the air, giving Akamaru a toothy grin.

"WE'RE BAAAACKK!" Naruto was next to express his heartfelt relief as he threw his fists up into the air.

"N-Naruto…" Hinata shyly stood behind him with her hands on her chest, "C-calm down…"

But Hinata was the one who needed calming when a careless Naruto leaned close to her with innocent eyes, "But aren't you glad? We can relax at home together!" A wide grin spread itself on his face.

Hinata, realizing the closeness of his face, turned beat red and, letting out steam through her ears, fainted.

"ACK! HINATA CHAN!" Naruto caught Hinata and carried her up in the way a groom carried his bride, "WAH! I need to get her to the hospital!" Naruto panicked, stomping his feet and getting ready to run, but he was stopped when Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Naruto. Let's get inside first. Besides, she doesn't need to go to the hospital. She just needs you to bring her home." A wide grin was evident behind his enigmatic mask.

"Home? Okay," Naruto tried to calm down, but it was all too much for him. He ran towards the gates and, with his free hand, knocked loudly at the door. For some reason, the gates were closed when they were usually freely open, "OOOOIIII let us in!"

Sakura stared at Naruto as he carried Hinata in his arms. Hinata fainted when Naruto drew close and also turned a dark red before she did. She also blushed hard when Itachi carried her, so what did it make of her? Hinata blushed because she liked Naruto and he was too close. Sakura blushed because Itachi was too close…

…

Then it dawned on her. Did she like Itachi nii san? And why did saying 'nii san' after his name feel so awkward? This was bad. She was beginning to realize something she didn't understand and wanted to ask Itachi nii san about it, but how could she? When he refused to speak with her?

Sakura shook out of her thoughts as the doors parted to allow a small crack, "Who's there?" A familiar voice called out.

Startled, Naruto took a step back.

"Oi, Hagane san," Asuma called out from the middle of the group, "Let us in,"

"Oh, Asuma san," Izumo, Hagane's friend and usual partner, opened the door a little more and poked his head out, "You're back! How was the high profile mission?" He grinned.

"Why don't you ask them yourselves?" Asuma, cigarette between teeth, grinned back at the two who stepped back out of fear or surprise or maybe even both.

"It's okay," Kakashi spoke, "We've traveled with them for two days and they haven't hurt anyone…" Kakashi assured them as he began stepping his way through the Konoha gates.

Slowly, the huge doors began to turn with a deep creaking sound from its gears. And, lo and behold, when Konoha in its traditional splendor revealed itself to Akatsuki and Konoha shinobi alike.

"Ah," Lee stretched, "We are finally home. Now me and Gai sensei can go back to our youthful training!" His teeth sparkled as he did his nice guy pose, "And so I can become stronger as well!" He turned towards Sakura, "So I may win the heart of my dearest Sakura san!" He yelled out his love, expatiating it for all to hear.

Those who were overprotective of Sakura, meaning Akatsuki and Sasuke, all glared daggers at the green spandex-wearing shinobi.

Sakura could only smile and sweatdrop. However, she was glad. His little scene took out the heavy, regretful feeling in her heart.

**XxxxxxX**

"THIS CANNOT BE!" Three elders stood in the Hokage office. Tsunade sat with her elbows on the table as Kakashi, Asuma, Sakura, and Shizune stood near the door, "HOW can you let them waltz right in Konoha?" The one speaking was an elderly woman with her gray hair tied into a bun and a shawl curtained her shoulders.

"Certainly you can't let THEM STAY in Konoha," The old man with glasses turned to glare at Naruto and Sakura, "Have you gone mad?"

"Moreover," Another elder man with bandages all over his body and a cane in hand spoke, "You are endangering our village. If the other villages get word of them being in Konoha, then they will not think twice to strike. We are _aiding_ the enemy"

By now, several veins were throbbing in Tsunade's forehead. Her teeth were clenched and she could feel her temper rising with every other word said. She so badly wanted to grab her chair and toss it outside—no—better yet, she wanted to grab all three of them and punch them to oblivion.

"And you sent our shinobi to this mission without consulting us!" The old woman who kept frowning and twisting her shawl into knots finally spoke, "You may be the hokage but it has always been priority to talk to the elders whenever you make a big decision!"

Tsunade's nails dug deeper and deeper into the table.

"What would the first hokage think now?" The old woman wouldn't cease her infernal yapping, "My, if he saw you I bet he wouid be disappointed!"

That was the last straw; Tsunade snapped. She broke the table in half and hauled it past the three old people, "Now you three listen! I did Konoha a favor!" Her red lips trembled with fury and her hazel eyes were enraged like a golden ameterasu—they simply wouldn't die down. "Because we talked to the Akatsuki the kyuubi is no longer in danger!"

"No longer in danger?" Danzo took a step forward, "You have just _damned_ our village! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if the raikage came down and killed you!"

Tsunade marched over to Danzo and was about to grab him when Sakura came running and, with her own brutal force, stopped her sensei. "Tsunade sama! Please! Calm down!"

Tsunade, seeing as her own strength was equally at par with Sakura's, thought her efforts were futile. She suppressed her anger and lowered her arm.

"How was she able to grab hold of the hokage's arm?" Nagato whispered from his corner. Amidst the fighting, when no one noticed, Nagato and Konan had entered the room and settled beside Naruto.

"Well," Naruto was about to explain when Kakashi grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a look that said: 'now isn't the time to talk'.

Nagato, unsatisfied with not knowing the answer, let his eyes wander around the room.

"We won't let this pass Tsunade! When war comes none of us will be there to solve your problems! We'll watch and see how _your_ stupidity burns down Konoha!" Danzo's voice erupted and echoed throughout the room. The four were at their wits end, and was just a word away from grappling each other and engaging in a fight.

But, Nagato was not paying attention to their fight. His eyes were locked on the man with bandages, the one that spoke earlier.

_ Danzo_

Something dawned in Nagato, and Konan could feel the sudden boil of anger inside of him. Konan gripped his hand to ease him even if she was full aware that their feelings were mutual. However, Nagato wouldn't let the moment pass with his silence.

"IF Konoha does engage in war with the other shinobi nations," Nagato caught their attention as the four turned to him wide eyed—Danzo was the most taken aback, "Then if you'd like, those who'd want to fight would fight. Better yet, if you're so _keen_ as to not lose any men," His voice was taunting and venomous. His words were mockery-coated words, sliding off his tongue like it were venom off of a snake's fangs. "Then the Akatsuki will fight for _your_ village along with Amegakure."

Silence befell the elders and Tsunade. What could they say? Nagato was offering something that would end their argument, so why not just accept it?

"However," Nagato wasn't finished, "Why would you care so much about _not_ going to war…Danzo?" His name rolled off his tongue like it were some curse or taboo, "Didn't you always solve things with an iron fist?" Gray eyes stared at Danzo's free eye.

Danzo scowled and the scar on his face scrunched with the rest of his face, "Hmph, that may be so, but putting Konoha in danger isn't acceptable."

"Konoha's in no danger," Nagato argued, "It's simply gained fortifications that the other shinobi nations will envy."

"Fortifications, you say? More like burdens to me. Especially that _you're_ here."

Nagato scoffed and ignored his comment, "Well whether you three like it or not, majority of the shinobi have accepted us, and we've already sworn allegiance to Konoha." He turned towards the door.

Sakura's emerald eyes watched Nagato exit the room and Konan follow after him. _Danzo and Pain otou sama know each other?_ When she thought about it, Sakura hardly knew anything about Pain. He was a mystery, and the more she knew about him, the more she felt confused.

The three elders turned to Tsunade, "Well, I suppose this argument is useless." The old man said, "But don't forget, we warned you. It will be your responsibility if anything happens to the village. Don't soil the first hokage's name any further." with that being said, the two took their leave while Danzo chose to delay his leave.

His eye glanced at everyone in the room before he, too, exited the room.

The door slammed with a heavy thud. Tsunade clenched her fists and walked towards the window. She glanced at Kakashi, Asuma, Naruto, Sakura and Shizune through the reflection in the glass, "Those three…some day I'm really going to punch them…" Tsunade brought her thumb to her lip, biting it after doing so.

"Hokage sama," Sakura stood firm, "This is my fault, I asked them to join and—"

"You're damn right it's your fault." Tsunade stared at Sakura through the window. Her brows created creases on her forehead but, it eventually subsided as her nerves began to calm, "Yes it is your fault Sakura, and I'm disappointed that you didn't inform me before making any decisions."

"But—" Sakura was about to protest but Tsunade beat her to it.

"I suppose you take after me in impulse, and getting things you want." She turned to smile at Sakura, "I must've influenced you too much."

Sakura calmed down. She swore she felt her heart stop when Tsunade told her it was _her fault_. If anything, she didn't want the only person who believed in her abilities as a child to look down on her.

"But, take note, you're going to be watching over them."

"I was planning to take responsibility, hokage sama." Sakura lowered her head in respect.

"Heh," Tsunade smirked, "Well, I believe the Akatsuki are downstairs. They'll be housing with you, by the way."

Sakura's eyes shot up as a sudden concern was remembered: Akane oba san didn't like men. "Ugh…" Sakura's gaze lingered away as if unafraid to meet her master's eyes.

But, Tsunade knew fully well what was going on in her mind, "I've already asked someone to inform your aunt. Don't worry"

Again, Sakura felt her heart calm. She held her chest and sighed with relief.

**XxxxxxX**

"And this is the ramen stand! Ichiraku ramen is the BEST place in all of konoha!" Naruto had his arm stretched out as he grinned from ear to ear. Naruto had suggested taking their new allies on a tour of the place as there was still time.

"Eh? This place? It's just a small stand." Kakuzu commented, "Do they really earn that much?"

"Ichiraku san doesn't make ramen because he earns money! It's because he loves making ramen!" Naruto argued narrowing his eyes at Kakuzu's materialistic ideology.

"hmph," Kakuzu scowled, "If I owned this place I would've had it earn millions already."

"Oh really?" An old man, familiar to everyone in Konoha, popped out from the stand with his cooking uniform. Ichiraku stood with a delivery box, grinning. "Then why don't you give me some money-earning pointers then?"

"WHA?" Naruto jumped up, "BUT BUT if you do that then you'll make ramen for the sake of money!" Naruto waved his arms around.

"Well, I do love making ramen especially for you, Naruto. But, it wouldn't hurt to get a little more than what I get, ne? Besides, with how much you owe me, I'm incurring losses."

Naruto, remembering his debt, shied away from Ichiraku. "Ugh yeah about that…I owe…um…" he held, in his hands, his green frog wallet which, when opened, revealed flies and endless space.

"But," the old man was grinning again, "If you deliver these I think I can take out some of your debt and—" he didn't need to say another word. Naruto dashed and grabbed hold of the food.

"Dobe…" Sasuke commented on the side as he stood near Sakura, "He's still the same."

Sakura, grinning, agreed, "yeah…Kind of…refreshing, isn't it?"

"hn," Sasuke didn't meet Sakura's gaze. Instead, he busied himself with 'inspecting' his katana.

Sakura, knowing that that was his way of agreeing, just smiled and turned her attention to Kakuzu who was giving pointers to old Ichiraku.

"So I shouldn't let customers owe me?"

"Not very long, anyway" Kakuzu had a small notebook out. Inside of it, there were notes on how to do businesses that he picked up over the _long, long_ years of being alive.

"You think I can have a copy of that?" Ichiraku inquired.

"Yeah sure…but it'll cost you."

Ichiraku let out a laugh, "That's a good one."

Kakuzu simply stared at his face, "…I'm serious."

**XxxxxxX**

"And this is the Yamanaka flower shop," Sakura, seeing as Naruto took off earlier, took over the tour. They had gone through the forest of death, the training grounds, the hokage rooftop, and several other sites. This was the last stop before heading home.

"Forehead!" Ino, clad in her flowering apron, stepped out with a watering can in hand, "what're you doing?"

"Ah, Ino-buta chan," Sakura grinned, "just touring everyone."

"oh I see…" Ino smiled.

"Oi Ino! Where did you—" Shikamaru appeared from inside the flower shop and stopped when he noticed the Akatsuki, Sakura and Sasuke outside. "ah…it's you guys…"

"Shikamaru, you want to help in the tour?" Sakura smiled, "You know the best views around her."

"Nah," Shikamaru gave them a lazy look that he usually had, "it's too troublesome…"

"Aa, fine." Sakura waved at Ino, "Well it's getting late. We'd better go ahead and leave you two alone." She winked at Ino who had her mouth wide open.

"FOREHEAD!" Ino's voice echoed through the orange and purple painted sky.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura, Sasuke and the Akatsuki made it home when the sun's tip barely touched the edge of the horizon, "well, this is it."

"Wow, hmph," Deidara admired the house, "You live here all alone?"

"No," Sakura replied as she slid the door open, "with my aunt…and recently Sasuke." Sakura heard a thud as Deidara and some Akatsuki members stumbled upon hearing Sasuke living with Sakura. "is something wrong?" She asked them.

Kisame, with Samehada on his back, gapped at her, "you live with Itachi san's brother?"

"As in under the same roof, yeah?"

"Aa, it was under my shishou's orders. I was to keep Sasuke under surveillance."

"As if I needed to," Sasuke commented from his own little corner.

Though quite…disturbed, the Akatsuki entered the house and dropped their shoes off on the side as traditional Japanese do.

"SAKU CHAAAAN!" As soon as Sakura dropped her shoes off and closed the door, several footsteps came running towards Sakura. Akane appeared, her red hair flowing behind her and her gray eyes watery with joy, "YOU'RE HOME!" She flung her arms around her niece. "I'm so glad! Did the Akatsuki agree with you on the kyuubi thing?"

Sakura, barely able to breathe, said, "Why don't you ask them?"

For a moment, Akane stood their confused. It was only when she followed Sakura's gaze and when she saw the people clad in black and red did she realize the meaning of Sakura's statement. "Oh my! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!"

Akane, going through and purposely ignoring everyone else, ran towards Konan and held her hand in greeting, "Hi I'm Sakura chan's aunt. Come in! Oh Sasuke kun, welcome back as well." Her gray eyes turned into slits as she led Konan and Sasuke into the room. "Come, I'll make you all some tea. For four then?"

"Oi, we're here too!" Hidan yelled with a deep scowl on his face.

"Oba san…" Sakura threatened her aunt. She knew very well what was going on in her aunt's head. She was purposely ignoring the specie she hated the most: men, "You've received orders, haven't you?"

With that, Akane slumped her shoulders and sighed in defeat. She turned around and with a plastic smile on said, "For you _men,_ you can get some water."

"OBA SAN!" Sakura scolded her aunt.

"Oh alright. Why're there so many anyway?" She flipped her red hair and placed a hand on her hip. "Hmph, men, they're just going to destroy the house." She didn't bother listening to the retaliations of Hidan and Deidara. Instead, she walked away and headed into the kitchen.

"Sorry about my aunt," Sakura turned to the Akatsuki, "She doesn't like men. Long story…" She sweat dropped.

"Don't worry," Kisame had his beady shark-like eyes fixed on the kitchen doorway, "it kind of turns me on…"

The others, especially Sakura, gapped at Kisame who turned right and left before defensively putting his hands up, "WHAT?"

**XxxxxxX**

"So, oba san, I think you should know all of their names," Sakura sat on the couch across her aunt with a glare directed at the woman. She held a Japanese teacup halfway her face so the light refracted in the tea reflected in her eyes, "…Ne?"

Akane, with her own blunt gray eyes fixed onto her niece, scowled and sighed, "Fine…" She let her gaze detach from her niece and wander around aimlessly—she refused to make eye contact with any of the _men_ especially the blue skinned one.

Kisame, for a good quarter of an hour, had been staring at the red head without taking his beady shark like eyes off of her. Of course, Akane noticed this and _purposely_ ignored the eccentric blue-skinned man.

"This one," She motioned towards Deidara who was disgruntled and wasn't pleased with Sakura's aunt, "Is Deidara nii chan," Then Sakura shifted her gaze towards Sasori, "And Sasori nii sama. They're artists."

"Yes, artists one and all—seen a good number already." Akane remarked with dull, uninterested eyes.

"And this one is Hidan nii san and Kakuzu nii san," Two pairs of eyes glared sharp, spiteful daggers at the red head who feigned ignorance and acknowledged them with a sip of her tea.

"This is Pain otou sama and Konan okaa san," Pain and Konan both gave a curt nod to which Akane responded with a nod of her own.

"And this _dashing_ gentleman here is Kisame nii kun," She pointed towards Kisame who was still, it was now a good 30 minutes since he began, staring at her.

Akane gave a soft 'hmph' and pretended to avoid the blue skinned 'man's' gaze.

Kisame, slightly heartbroken with her indifferent actions, finally tore his gaze away and shifted it towards the ground.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at her aunt's rude and mean actions, but she would scold her later. Instead, she moved on. With hesitant eyes, she glanced at Itachi. He looked as if nothing had happened. Why did he still refuse to talk to her? It hurt tremendously, but Sakura bore it. "And this," She paused to glance at her aunt who was indifferently gulping down the rest of her tea, "Is Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's brother."

The moment Itachi's name was said, Akane lifted the cup from her lips and shifted her attention to Itachi. For a moment, everyone did not notice, she and he locked gazes. Akane's light gray eyes stared into his dark gray ones. Then, as if there was some silent agreement, they both looked away and Akane nodded towards Sakura's further descriptions.

"It's getting late," Akane interrupted Sakura. She placed her cup down on the coffee table and stood, "You should escort our guests to their rooms."

"But Oba san—"

"Sakura," Akane's tone was low, cold and authoritative. Sakura had never ever heard her aunt talk in that manner nor had she ever seen that cold look in her eyes. Without a word, she stood and motioned for the others to follow, "Aa, Akane oba san is right. We should go." With one last glance at her aunt, she turned and headed towards the steps with the Akatsuki trailing after her.

"You alright, Sakura chan yeah?" Deidara asked.

"Aa, I'm fine." She flashed a smile at Deidara before she proceeded to climb the stairs, "Good night, Akane oba san."

"Good night, Sakura, Sasuke…" Akane had her back turned from all of them. Her red hair hid her face from all of them, "Akatsuki," By that time, they were half way up the stairs with Itachi at the tail of the line, "…and Uchiha Itachi." Akane walked on and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Good night," Itachi, too, had his back turned towards Akane, "Akane san," He held the railing in one hand and climbed the stairs seamlessly.

Akane leaned on the kitchen counter with a champagne glass in hand. Red wine swirled in her glass and reflected her metallic gray eyes. The moonlight shimmered through the clear window pane, "…A _good_ night indeed," She scoffed, "Welcome home…"

**XxxxxxX **

**-Yes, this was done sooner than usual. =D The ItaSaku moments are starting to heat up w Ah and don't forget to view Itachi5lover1's videos! They're kick-butt awesome! =D**

**-Next time on Tabula Rasa: With Itachi refusing to speak to Sakura, how will they pull through? And what happens to Kisame knowing Akane has no interest in him? And why is Akane so interested in Uchiha Itachi?**

**-"Oh how I'm so afraid to admit this feeling in my heart." Madam Obscurum**


	22. Chapter 18: Beneath the Moonlight

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-Ah thank you so much for your reviews! =D They encourage me to write. Although, I'd like more responses than just 'please update'. ^^; But, thank you, it reminds me to write more often. For those who review every chapter with lengthy responses thank you so much! I always enjoy reading your reviews and you don't know how much that makes my day haha.**

**-Reviews that caught my eye: Lady Nefertiti-Ha, well, we'll see if Sasuke can be kicked out; Mystical Hanyou-Oooh that's a good idea =o hehe let's see if it's possible haha xD the itasaku in one room thing. **

**-Please pray for the Filipinos who have been hit by the storm Ondoy. Luckily, my house wasn't affected that much (if you call dripping ceilings affected), but many were tossed from their homes and forced to walk into the streets. Goodness, the water was up to their necks.**

**-Ah and to Koori no Sakura fans, note that I'll be focusing on this story. I haven't even put together the plot of that story yet. xD**

**-Squee, my favorite chapter as of now 333**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 18**

**~Beneath the Moonlight~**

The sun readied itself to sleep. It hid beneath covers of dark blue painted with sparkling glitters, and slowly descended through the tip of its blanket.

"So, um, there aren't a lot of rooms available, but there will be enough rooms if you stayed in partners," Sakura stood in front of the group. Earlier on, she had decided she would show them the rest of the house tomorrow, but she would let them sleep for now.

Pair by pair, they filed into their rooms. Sasori and Deidara entered their room, Hidan and Kakuzu entered their room too glaring at one another, Konan and Nagato silently and blissfully entered their room without complain, but Kisame and Itachi remained in the hall and didn't enter their room just yet.

"Sakura," For the first time since their return to Konoha, Itachi had spoken to Sakura. Sakura felt her heart skip a beat as a light blush crept up her cheeks. Was he finally going to apologize? Were they finally going to reconcile with one another?

"Is it necessary to stay in this house?" Itachi asked with a nonchalant tone.

Sakura had spoken to soon.

Whereas Itachi didn't mean any harm, his uncaring tone disappointed Sakura. She thought he was going to apologize or say good night, but he didn't. Instead, it seemed as if he didn't want to stay under the same roof as Sakura, "You don't want to stay here?" If didn't like being around Sakura because she had _changed_ then he should just say so.

Itachi didn't look straight into her eyes. Instead, he walked towards his partner's and his room, "I was just curious."

Sakura held her arm as Itachi disappeared through his room with Kisame following right after. Her trembling lips pursed together to prevent tears from spilling out, "Just admit you don't want to stay here…" She whispered in a small voice.

"Sakura?"

Sakura's head snapped towards the direction of the new but familiar voice, "Ah—Sasuke, it's you."

"Are you alright?" Sasuke stood leaning against his room's doorframe. His onyx eyes bore through Sakura, staring right into her own pair of eyes. His arms were folded, and his head rested on the door, "You shouldn't get involved with my brother any more than you already are." _Stay away from him_ is what Sasuke meant to say. He tried to hide the concern that lingered within him, but he knew Sakura could see it.

Sakura's eyes slumped half lidded. Her heart weighed in her chest and all she could do was to grip her arm tighter, "…I know…" without another word, she turned and headed towards her own room.

Sasuke's charcoal eyes swirled into a ruby shade. His Sharingan reflected the deep anger that made his blood boil. He was so angry, yet at the same time so…destroyed. It was obvious, wasn't it? This was Sakura's answer to his confession. He had lost to Itachi—again. But this loss, among all other losses, left Sasuke with a heavy burden in his chest; the kind that twisted the veins and stop the blood from flowing into his already frozen heart.

With a heavy, sorrowful sigh, he turned away and retreated into his room. But things weren't over until either Uchiha had claimed Sakura to be his.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura leaned on her veranda railings. She wasn't particularly looking at anything; she was just staring into the dark horizon looking for anything that would pacify her. She didn't know what she was feeling. Was it vexation? Was it melancholy? Or perhaps both? But one thing she knew for sure was that Itachi was making her feel things she didn't understand.

It was unlike from what she felt with Sasuke. When he called her annoying, she would just shrug it off and try again albeit the short-lived disappointment. The disappointment she would feel with Sasuke was ephemeral, lasting only for a few moments before she was back on her feet and ready to woo Sasuke again.

But, this feeling was something different. It was deeper—more twisted. It began in her heart as a looming dark feeling that swirled into something obscure and somewhat…profound. It was the sort that pricked at the heart and stayed in it. "Itachi nii...Why are you doing this to me?"

She rested her chin on the palisade, her gloved hands tightly gripping the banisters. Itachi plagued her mind. She hadn't seen him in years and their reunion wasn't exactly what she imagined it. To make matters worse, they had gotten into a fight, and knowing Itachi, he wouldn't be the first to bend. However, Sakura, too, was stubborn. She refused to back down and would not lower her pride. Truth be told, she was really childish. It would have been much easier to wane her ego and apologize like she was prompted to do in the past.

However, that was weakness, and Sakura was no longer a weakling.

But, come to think of it, if this went on, they would continue fighting and would never reconcile. If this went on, they'd fall apart and never find a way to return to the way things were years ago where the only problem was which game to play next.

Sakura shifted her weight to her other leg as she balanced her center of gravity. She heaved a breathy groan which was cut half way when something caught her eye. From the corner of her eye, she spied a figure leave the Haruno household through the back door. Her eyes stalked the figure as it went through several trees. But, as the figure passed a part of the pathway that eluded the shadows of the trees and let the moonlight filter through the branches, Sakura let out a gasp.

"Akane oba san?"

She continued watching her aunt until she stopped in a spot where the trees were the thinnest. Sakura saw Akane stand in the middle of the trees as if she were waiting for something…or someone. But who? It was past midnight and everyone was asleep—or so she earlier thought.

At that moment, another figure joined her aunt. Sakura felt as if she would fall from the sight of _who_ joined her aunt. "What the—"

Sakura leapt off her veranda and snuck through the trees. Akane's voice distorted through the trees echoing from several directions making it hard for Sakura to pinpoint the exact location of her aunt. But, a set of cracking twigs gave away Akane's presence. Sakura leaned on the bark of a tree, concealing her chakra because the shinobi with her aunt could've detected her.

"You're not planning anything, are you?" Akane's voice rang out.

"Nothing at all." A deep voice replied. Sakura shuddered at the voice. Why was he with her?

"You lay a finger on Sakura, and I'll kill you." The red head warned. Peaking a little, Sakura could notice the blade-like glimmer in her aunt's eyes.

"I would never do that. Besides, you aren't in any position—or ability—to kill me"

"Hmph, you're still as egotistic as ever. You think you're all that? You're in my territory now."

"So you say, Akane san"

Akane, red with anger, walked away sullenly. Her red hair flowed with her movements and the cold wind that blew past her, "Don't you DARE hurt her! Itachi!"

Itachi watched Akane leave, his onyx eyes following her backside shrink to nothing. He did not speak, nor did he attempt to follow her. He simply narrowed his eyes and shrouded into darkness leaving an unnoticed Sakura clutching her heart.

"I don't understand…Itachi nii?"

**XxxxxxX**

_Boom!_ Several explosions rang out. The sky instantly filled with colorful patterns of different kinds. There were those that looked like images, and those that were simple sparkles that glittered on the black background.

"Hmph, I can do better explosions than that un." Deidara hmph'ed and boasted from the side. His blond hair was not tied; instead, it sprawled on his shoulders. He wore nothing but a yukata, and his eyepiece was absent.

The Akatsuki all sat on the Hokage tower along with Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune and other icons of Konoha.

"Just shut up," Sasori snapped at the blonde. For the past few minutes, Deidara had been commenting about how much better his explosions were and the ones in front of him were nothing compared to what he could do. Of course, Sasori being a silent person, opted to watch the fireworks in peace and quiet—and anything that had to do with Deidara did not mean peace and quiet. Deidara was the _last_ person he wanted to spend time with during a 'welcome' ceremony organized by the hokage. It was already a month since they came to Konoha, but they had yet to _blend_ in with everyone else.

It wasn't that Sasori cared if the people gave them vexing looks filled with spite and deep-seated hatred. In truth, he didn't them mind at all. It was the fact they had to include Sakura in their hateful remarks that drove him over the edge.

Sakura was the medic nin of their village. She, even before the Akatsuki came, helped those in need with a kind heart and a warm smile. _Damn hypocrites_. People only smiled at her when they had a broken bone or if their innards were spilling out. Sasori knew that Sakura was aware of the villager's gossip. But even if she knew, she continued her service for the greater good. And even if Sasori never knew what love was, he guessed Sakura had a lot of it.

"Oi squirt-neko!" Kisame called out, sake in hand, at the pink haired girl who walked into the 'box', "Welcome to the VIP area!"

Sakura giggled at the blue skinned man, "You still drink, huh?"

"OF COURSE!" Kisame hiccupped and gulped down the rest of his sake just in time for three new bottles to be delivered by the waiter.

The pink haired kunoichi simply shook her head and sat between Kakuzu and Deidara.

"How come you're not wearing anything different?" Hidan asked from Kakuzu's side.

"I only wear different things on special occasions"

"And this isn't special? You're fucking welcoming us!" Hidan, grinning with pride, beat his chest to signify his glory.

"Ha, like that's special!" Sakura joked, sticking her tongue out playfully at Hidan.

"What the fuck? Come here you!" Hidan rushed over to Sakura who dashed off into a chase, "Damnit! This was fucking easier when you had tinier legs!"

Sakura laughed and ran around the room until she hit something hard. She took a step back only to feel the blood rush to her face.

Itachi stood dressed in a sleek, black Yukata. His hair fell sideways to frame his strong yet subtle jaw. His eyes stared straight into Sakura's, and for a moment, Sakura felt her heart stop then race to an unimaginable speed. He looked so magnificent—so handsome in his yukata. The way his subtle yet strong features were reflected in the moonlight, kami, he was gorgeous.

But her sparkling vision of itachi crumbled down when he spoke.

"How childish of you, Sakura." His gray eyes stabbed through Sakura who winced at his comment. Again, he made her feel so insignificant.

What did he want? When she'd act like a grown up because he thought of her as childish, he'd walk away and get angry. If she acted childish, all she'd get was a scolding. So the question that lingered in Sakura's mind was: _What EXACTLY did Uchiha Itachi want?_

And, there was still the matter of that incident when she spied Akane and Itachi go off into the forest. Not to mention the questions that filled her head because of that nighttime _tryst_. Why would Akane think Itachi would hurt her? Why did it seem like they knew each other? And why the _fuck_ did Itachi treat her aunt with a cordiality that went beyond a normal house-owner and guest? WHY did _he_ greet her properly in the morning and before they retired to their rooms? Why did Itachi help Akane with most of the chores when he would leave Sakura to her own demise when she carried piles of heavy books? Of course Sakura could carry them, but that wasn't the damn point!

Sakura was at her limit. She, on many occasions, thought to ask either but she could not bring herself to. She feared the answer she probably already knew. Were they long lost friends? Were they ex-lovers? Were they lovers now? Sakura beat herself up mentally. That was impossible. Itachi was too young for her aunt, but then again, her aunt had dated so many men it was near possible that Itachi were one of them.

Jealousy weighed in her heart. Her fists, hidden behind her, clenched tight as she let out a small smile, "Aa, you're right…" She took a step away to allow him passage, "Well since everyone's here, I better be going." She couldn't take it anymore. She shamed herself because she had _actually_ been jealous of her aunt! She had already been at her limit and Itachi had just pulled the trigger. Sakura held back tears as she turned away, shielding her eyes from them. Once she thought no one was looking, she broke into a run.

"If you ask me, you're the childish one," A drunken Kisame spoke. He waved his sake bottle at Itachi with a light blush on his cheeks, "I mean…c'mon! You and her, you're both so stuuuuuupid!" He hiccupped and tossed his last bottle aside, "Damn, now I dun't have 'nymore sake—" Kisame crashed to the ground unconscious and hiccupping.

Itachi sighed. If there's one thing he hated more than Kisame annoyingly nipping at his conscience, it was a drunken Kisame pouring out the _right_ words at the _wrong_ time and annoyingly nipping at his conscience. He'd give his partner a good beating after this. Mentally kicking himself for a loss of composure, he turned on his heel and dashed after Sakura.

While all the Akatsuki wondered what had happened, Nagato smiled to himself, "Just admit it you stoic fool…"

"Did you say something?" In the shadows, Konan was leaning her head on his chest.

"No, love, nothing…" He pecked the top of Konan's forehead as another set of fire works explosions rang out.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura ran as fast as she could regardless of where she was or whom she bumped into. She didn't even notice who she hit when she brushed past Naruto, Hinata, Sai, and Sasuke who were on their way to the celebration.

"Sakura chan?" Naruto, stupefied by the sudden blur, gapped, "That was Sakura chan right?"

"I-I th-think s—so…" Hinata, holding on to Naruto's arm, glanced up at Naruto.

"It was obviously Sakura san," Sai spoke, "Who else has pink hair?"

"Well yeah, but what if—OI TEME!" Naruto yelled out when Sasuke started to chase after the pinkette, but another blur outran him.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he stepped sideways to dodge whatever was coming his way. For a split second, Sasuke spied Sharingan eyes and Sasuke could only deduce who the blur was: Itachi. However, it only pushed Sasuke to run faster.

**XxxxxxX**

Thick, lush forestry surrounded Sakura on her left, and on her right was a still river, sparkling with the stars' reflections. Sakura, though, could not stop to admire their beauty. She was distraught, busied by her sobbing that she had not noticed an approaching Itachi.

Under the magnificent night sky, Sakura was forced to a halt when a strong hand gripped her flailing wrist. Her head whipped around to see who had stopped her only to meet with the most beautiful pair of charcoal gray eyes.

"Itachi nii san…?" Sakura bit her lip. He was the last person she wanted to see because _he_ wasthe reason why she was crying in the first place. "What're you doing here?" Her tears spilled down her face and went unnoticed by their owner. Sakura pulled her arm, and tore from his grip, "Go away!" She shut her eyes as if he would disappear if she did.

"Sakura," OH how her name rolled so sweetly off his lips like dripping nectar, and if she wasn't so angry right now, she would've melted, "You're being childish."

Sakura snapped. Ah, Sakura would never quell her anger with the way things were carrying out. "I'M CHILDISH? I'm not the one who sulked because _I_ didn't want to be carried!"

Itachi kept his mouth shut. In all honesty, Itachi just couldn't find the words to say. What? Was he going to tell her he felt _bad_ because she didn't want to be carried? Was he going to say that he only told her she was childish in remembrance of the good old days? Was he, Itachi Uchiha, going to admit he was wrong? No way, his pride would never allow him.

"I don't get you Itachi nii san!" She never forgot to say the honorific despite her incessant ire, "You say I'm childish, so I try to act grown up! But when I try to act grown up, you get mad. If you don't like me just tell me! Do you hate me?" Sakura didn't even know what she was saying. She just said anything that popped in her mind, "Yes I'm sorry I _blended_ in Konoha and got _influenced_ by their principles, but can I help it? I understand if you hate me. I understand if you don't like me—but damnit just say it!" Sakura held her heart, "Stop it already! You do things that get my hopes up and make me feel things I never wanted to feel then you burn it all down!"

itachi's eyes lit up. What was she saying? Was this some sort of…confession?

Sakura's eyes pleaded, begged for him, to tell her an answer or to at least give her the slightest hint of a response. A grunt? A 'hn'? Or a simple shut of his eyes! _Just please don't stare at me with those blank—god-like beautiful—eyes._ She thought to herself, as she groaned on the outside for his lack of response, "So, tell me, what do you want from me, Itachi nii san?"

_Wrong. All wrong. It's not like that Sakura. _Itachi couldn't take it. Underneath his unresponsive stature, he was searching for an answer—or the will to answer truthfully. Would he be able to say it? Would he be willing to let it all out? Years of pent up, unwanted, and suppressed emotion to be released all at once? His lips parted to speak, but he quickly shut them back and pursed them tightly. His hesitation was a reflection of his thoughts. Would he go through with this?

Then he was reminded of the day he thought he lost her.

Sakura felt a sharp pain in her heart when Itachi did not utter anything or give a hint of response. After her outburst, she was met with silence and this greatly pained her. She gripped the edge of her pink skirt, her lip trembling from trying to barricade another onslaught of tears.

_I don't want to lose her again_. Itachi thought to himself. He stared at her, green eyes watering, cherry lips trembling, and that petite yet sturdy form shaking and trying so hard to stay steady. He felt guilty. She was vulnerable right now, and it was because of him. She was opening her heart to him, and he was unsure of what to do.

_Look at that Itachi, are you really going to push her away? For once, in your entire life, be selfish. _That's right, all his years were spent with selfless acts and sacrifices to push everything away to keep themselves safe: His father, his mother, Sasuke, his clan, the village, and would Sakura be part of that as well?

Here she was standing before him waiting for a reason—an answer—to stay with him. Would he take the chance? Hell, he took that chance once, didn't he? Long time ago, he took her away from the village, but fate took her back.She had _almost _died. If he took her away again and claimed her as his, would fate take her back again? Would fate tear her away from him? "…you…" he whispered huskily.

Sakura didn't hear what he said and began to turn.

This aggravated Itachi and sent him in a flight of panic because he realized he had to say it louder. He grabbed her wrist again and pulled her back. He lost all sense of self-composure and himself as he yelled words that hadn't even processed in his mind, "I was hurt when you didn't want to be carried and I felt that you didn't like me anymore! So what I'm trying to say is that I want you!" He lowered his head in defeat, his hands trembling for a reason even he did not know, "I want you…I need you…I…love…you…"

Sakura stood there, eyes wide open like a raging ocean wave, "…what?" Her heart was racing fast, and she didn't know what to do.

Itachi slowly raised his head to meet her gaze. His hand let go of her wrist and trailed up to cup her face. He gave her a look she had never seen before—a look she thought Itachi Uchiha could _never_ make. It was loving, warm, and damn right sexy. But, Sakura couldn't really feel the latter. Instead, she paid attention to that heart-warming smile. My god, he looked like a bashful boy, and Sakura couldn't believe he had actually managed to pull off a face filled with emotion. Was the man standing before her _the_ Uchiha Itachi? The most feared S class criminal of the shinobi world? Master of genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninutsu, and once Uchiha prodigy of Konoha?

Sakura marveled at her newly discovered side of Itachi, and was glad that she had been, probably, the only one who had ever seen him make such a face. She inwardly giggled, making sure to memorize every inch of his face. But, she was basking in her newly made wonder that she had not noticed his face draw closer. When she did, it was already too late.

Itachi's lips met hers in a single moment that Sakura would remember for the rest of her life. Her eyes bulged in surprise when Itachi gripped the hair on her nape, pushing her into a deeper kiss. Before long, Sakura had melted into the kiss and eventually returned it—though she did not know how she was able to. After all, this was her _first_ kiss. And she shivered thinking about how good his lips felt against hers.

Sakura felt her knees go weak. When she had gone to the Akatsuki, she was already exhausted from hospital duties, add up the chasing around of Hidan, and the emotional runaway of Sakura, one gets very numb legs. Her knees gave in, making her stumble back, breaking the kiss and gripping Itachi's hand just in time to pull him down with her.

They splashed onto the river beside them. When both surfaced, they were dripping wet. Sakura's brows furrowed. She had just ruined a perfectly good moment and broke the mood. She glanced at Itachi, _broke the mood? I think I just intensified it! _And along came her long absent inner-Sakura who was practically nose-bleeding over the sight of a wet, disgruntled, and messed up Itachi. His yukata dipped in some places to reveal more of his chisel hard pectorals and abs. If Sakura hadn't torn her gaze away, she would've soon emulated her inner-Sakura.

Itachi raked a hand through his now wet and dripping raven black hair, "Sakura, are you alright?"

"a-Aa" Sakura tried her best to hide the dark blush on her cheeks which proved to be useless when Itachi stood. His yukata, as it revealed, tied at his waist and lowered a little to allow Sakura full view of his abs and chest. She mentally slapped herself AND her Inner for such thoughts. And to make matters worse, Itachi turned to her and stared at her with his dark obsidian eyes.

"Come, you should get changed."

"Y-yeah…" Sakura winced and felt hot all over when Itachi took her hand and pulled her into an embrace. The embrace lingered for a few moments before he grabbed her legs and carried her up in a bridal way.

"You don't mind, do you?" He was back to his stoic self and Sakura wished, at least one more time, to see that emotional face he earlier had on when he confessed.

Remembering his words, Sakura felt a blush coming on. "N-no…" Sakura's face was beat red and her heart was ready to jump out of her chest. She leaned on his chest to hide her face from anyone they would pass, although that was useless because Sakura was known for her pink hair. But, Sakura was in for more surprises. As she pressed her ear to his chest, she heard the racing of his heart. His heart was also racing?

Sakura smiled to herself when Itachi would not see. She felt proud, glorified even, when she realized that Itachi Uchiha had his heart racing around her. And that he, the ever stoic emotionless Itachi Uchiha, loved her, so he said.

Itachi held Sakura in his arms like they were a newly wed couple. He felt so happy—so free. He had finally said some long locked things and she, much to his fortune, had responded positively.

He had to admit, he was in the highest euphoria—he was in the 9th cloud.

**XxxxxxX**

Whereas the couple was in cloud 9, Sasuke was in the 9th circle of hell.

It wasn't long before he caught up with the two, spying them a short distance away from where he stood. He saw Itachi grab hold of the pinkette, and Sakura lashing out at him. He saw them stare at each other in silence before Sakura opted to turn away. When she did, Sasuke inwardly cheered, but this was short lived when Itachi grabbed Sakura again and poured out everything. When he did, Sasuke froze over and felt his train of thought stop.

When they had left, it was only then that Sasuke's thoughts began filling his head once again. And among all those thoughts that swam in his head, there was only one that stood out: Why didn't he stop Itachi?

Sasuke saw it coming. From the moment Itachi rushed past him with his Sharingan open to enhance his abilities, Sasuke knew that Itachi was about to claim Sakura. When Sakura turned to Itachi as he first grabbed her wrist, he saw in her eyes the relief that passed over her when she found he had ran after her. Sasuke knew—he saw it coming. So why hadn't he done anything to prevent it?

Sasuke slumped over the bark of the tree, his head hung low. That was it. The kiss had sealed the deal and left Sasuke alone in the dark. But why had Sakura chosen Itachi? Sasuke too had poured out his bottled up emotions. He also declared his love for her. He also held her and comforted her. So why? Why was Itachi so much better than him?

He smirked. Sasuke remembered finding no room for him as the two _lovers_ held each other. And, probably, this was how things were supposed to be. Despite his painful and ill feelings, he found that the scene before him seemed so…right. This must have been his karma for leaving Konoha, knocking Sakura out with just a thank you and leaving her on a bench. But why hadn't Itachi gotten his Karma? He had done far graver things than Sasuke, and yet he was living happily.

He grabbed his head and pouted. "I…give up…" He whispered before breathing out a sigh.

**XxxxxxX**

That night, Itachi and Sakura spent the rest of it on top of the Haruno household gazing at the stars above.

"Ne, Itachi nii san?" Sakura turned towards Itachi with a refreshed smile on her face. When they arrived, they quickly changed and headed outside where Sakura proposed stargazing rather than returning to the festivities.

"Itachi."

"Eh?"

"Just call me Itachi…" Itachi raised a hand to place her chin between his index and thumb. He raised her chin so their eyes were leveled with one another, "You can call me by my first name,"

Sakura blushed, "R-right…Ita…chi…" It already felt awkward to say his name with a honorific, what more without? She heard a grunt from Itachi to signify his amusement. She glared at him with an embarrassed red tint on her cheeks. She huffed, puffing her cheeks in the process with a small pout.

Itachi glanced at the pinkette and inwardly smiled to himself. He had named her his, but he had not yet claimed her. He extended a hand to wrap around her waist as he reeled her into him. In his happiness, a small voice at the back of his head questioned if it was acceptable to keep her. Was it all right to chain the angel to him when she was supposed to be shared?

She wanted this, didn't she? A dark brooding uncertainty hitched at his heartstrings. He was simply doing what she asked and there was no crime in it, was there? He leaned to fit her head into the crook of his neck. But whatever happens, he made up his mind, now that she had decided to shackle herself to him, he would protect Sakura at all costs.

She was an angel, and he was the angel's guardian devil.

He kissed the top of her head and tightened his grip about her waist. He wouldn't let what happened before happen again. He would do everything in his power to make her happy.

Sakura held her breath feeling Itachi's hands wrap around her waist and his lips on her large forehead. She slightly winced, unsure how to respond. She felt so embarrassed, and the heat in her body just wouldn't wane. But somehow, despite feeling like she could burst into flames at any moment, she was…contented, and she deeply wished things would remain the same forever—beneath the moonlight and twinkling stars.

**XxxxxxX**

**-Squee, how was it? =D I personally admit that I love this chapter plot-wise. XD Grammar-wise and narrative skills-wise…er…? xD I wonder if it was too fast though. ==**

**-Did anyone notice that the entire chapter took place at night? XD**

**-Ah yes, and I updated quickly because classes were suspended and I had finished all my homeworks thinking there would be classes on Monday. So Chapter 19, not sure when it's going to come out but I leave ItaSaku fans to squeal first—and let me hide from the SasuSaku fans first .**

**-"Hear my heart, it hurts so much." ("Hear my heart" By Nikki Gil) "People stupid things for even more stupid reasons" –Madam Obscurum**


	23. Chapter 19: The Claim

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-Uwah! Thank you so much for your reviews! ^^ Love you guys for appreciating my first story =D Please keep R&R-ing Tabula Rasa =D**

**-Sorry for the long absence. I've been busy. xD Oh guess what, I passed my thesis defense! :D Whoo! **

**-Because of recent FF changes, the explicit parts have been edited out of this chapter and been moved elsewhere and is covered by this warning: **

**[Because of the nature of the content within the next few lines, this has been censored. Please refer to the cut out of this chapter.]**

**To see the part that's been cut out of the chapter please refer to the links displayed in my profile page. It's inconvenient, I know, but it's to avoid being purged out of **

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 19**

**~The Claim~**

"Sakura chan…?" Naruto poked at the kunoichi who was staring off into her own world, "OI! Sakura chan!" The morning sun shone brightly in the sky and poured down its rays onto the people below it. "SAKURA CHAN!" Naruto yelled desperately trying to reach out to Sakura.

Naruto had asked Sakura if she wanted to come with him for a bite—an understatement—at Ichiraku's. Usually, Sakura would decline saying it was too early for ramen, but today she was different. Today, she accepted his invitation and came with him to eat ramen early in the morning.

Sakura, hearing the faint sound of her name, lit up and glanced at a panting Naruto, "Oh, Naruto, did you want something?"

Naruto had his eyes in slits and his mouth pouted, "You were staring off again…"

Sakura blinked and gave out a nervous smile, "Er…was I? Sorry! Sorry! I just—lots of things on my mind…"

Naruto smirked and said in a low, mischievous voice, "You're thinking about Teme, aren't you?" Naruto had never known what happened after the celebration, but figured it was something good by the look of Sakura's blush that morning when he came to pick her up.

"Eh?" For the past hours, Sakura had been constantly repeating the events of the previous night. She was so caught up in them that any thoughts about the younger Uchiha had not crossed her mind at all.

"I knew it. The teme's always liked you. It's about time he confessed to you!" Naruto was under the impression that Sasuke had chased down the crying Sakura and comforted her. He also imagined some romance happening after consoling her. After all, they needed to continue what happened in the forest, ne?

Unfortunately for Naruto, he wasn't aware of the unseen blur that ran past Sasuke and after Sakura. Itachi had been too fast for any of them save Sasuke, "Eh? Sakura chan? What's wrong?"

She inwardly cringed. Leave it all up to Naruto to say stupid things and make her remember things. "Naruto you're such an idiot," Sakura's temper flared up but she held back a punch. It wasn't Naruto's fault; it was hers. He had simply reminded her of some unfinished things. Up till now, she had forgotten all about Sasuke and his own confession.

Naruto had his arms up in defense expecting the barrage of punches she'd send, but found himself safe and unharmed. He uncurled himself and scrutinized Sakura, what was wrong with her? Although, he did beat himself up mentally thinking it was something he said. "Saku—"

Sakura stood, "Aa, thanks Naruto for the meal." Turning on her heel, she ran off through the store's flaps and down the street towards her home.

"Oi Sakura!" Naruto was left alone to eat his ramen. He sighed, "You said we were going to split the bill," he complained.

**XxxxxxX**

Steadfast feet raced down the street and turned a corner. Slowly, they came to slow stop. Sakura stood, panting, her fisted hand pressed against her heaving chest.

It was morning, near noon, and there was an unusually minute amount of people strolling. The ones that were strolling, however, gave curious passing glances at the resident medical nin. Nevertheless, the pink haired girl neither paid attention nor noticed them. Her mind was fixed on something—or someone—else.

It was rude, and totally impulsive, of her to suddenly leave Naruto at Ichiraku's, but Sasuke weighed on her mind. How could she have forgotten? All those years of trying to get Sasuke's attention had finally, in a sense, blossomed into something, and she had just _forgotten_? How could being reunited with Itachi suddenly blow away years of desperate 'courtship'? She mentally super punched herself.

She slumped onto the ground, holding onto her head as if it were something heavy. Her knees weakened beneath her; steadily, the balls of her feet balanced her.

After much contemplation, she let out a sigh. She knew what she had to do although she, personally, was against it. With one last defeated sigh, she gathered her courage and rose to full height. Hands tensed on her either side, her fingers balled into a fist, she marched towards the Haruno household.

**XxxxxxX**

Standing in front of her door, she felt her earlier strengthened determination melt away. She swallowed; she couldn't help but bite her lip. Somewhere, inside her house, was Uchiha Sasuke waiting, seemingly carelessly, for her to say 'yes Sasuke, I love you too'.

Oh but what would he do if he found out that that was not her answer? And how would she tell him? She couldn't say 'Sasuke, I'm sorry, but I've chosen your older brother who you have hated for slaughtering your family, betraying Konoha, and joining the Akatsuki'. No, that surely would not help at all, just as her sarcasm wasn't as well.

There were so many things she could do: dodge him, act indifferent and give him a cold answer, hurt Itachi and go with Sasuke, or she could run away and live as a medical hermit. Of course, neither one of her options would do her any good although the last one seemed the least harmful. Then again, she didn't want to live her life as an old hag stuck up in one of those snowy mountains, no.

So, putting aside wild ideas, she was left with the most sensible one to her: rejection. However, just thinking of the word and how it could, at the slightest possibility, deter Sasuke from ever recovering. _Oh kami,_ Sakura pleaded, _help me. _Right now, she would much rather fight the kyuubi than reject Sasuke. Oh god, she was going insane.

Sakura took a deep breath.

_Okay, this is for the best…_

She took slow steps towards the door. Slowly, she felt her courage muster up once again. _I can do this,_ She thought, _I just have to go over there and say 'Sasuke, I'm sorry but I like someone else. I appreciate your feelings but I can't return them.' _ Her hand, shaking, wrapped around the doorknob. _This is it. _Then, just as she began turning the knob, her fear subsided. _Yosh_, She triumphantly, and mentally, screamed, _I can do this! _ She clenched her eyes shut and began exerting force onto the door.

With a hard push, she managed to swing the door open. Her heart was ready to face Sasuke and tell him she could not return the feelings she long wanted, but now did not. Her eyes opened, expecting to meet his dark charcoal gray eyes, "Sa—" She began to say.

But the pair of charcoal gray eyes she met with was not Sasuke's.

Itachi stood in front her clad in his mesh top shirt and dark pants, "Sakura?" His deep voice called out.

Sakura stopped herself. _Shit._ Just as she had readied herself to face one problem, another one revealed itself.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?" He called out to her again.

Silence. Her innards churned with fear. The courage she had earlier gathered had faded away and was once again replaced with dread. In her worry to face Sasuke, she had forgotten about the older brother. Did Itachi know about Sasuke's feelings? If he didn't, would he be jealous knowing she was looking for Sasuke? No, Itachi was a mature man. It was alright to tell him the truth, wasn't it? Tell him she was looking for Sasuke.

He approached her cautiously. They stood alone in the Haruno living room. Usually it would be bustling with the Akatsuki members, usually Hidan and Deidara arguing about a trivial matter. But, by some _timely_ stroke of _mis_fortune, none of them were there.

"No, nothing's wrong." Why? Why couldn't she bring to say the truth? He would understand. If she told him the truth, he would have simply nodded his head and said, 'go'. She lied with a smile, though she knew the smile would allow Itachi to see through her.

Itachi stared at her wordlessly for a long time. He watched the way her eyes twitched and how tense her shoulders were. She was lying. It was so obvious. Even if she didn't smile, he would've still known. Sakura was like an open book: easily read. "Is that so?" But still, he would want to know what she was up to and why she had to lie, for he knew that she knew better than to lie. Deception. It was his greatest talent after all.

Sakura was taken aback. Did he buy it? No, Itachi wasn't dimwitted enough to buy it. Only Naruto would've bought that lie. "Yes." She lied again. She knew he wouldn't fall for it, yet she persisted on lying.

What was she so determined to hide from him? Itachi wondered, "Well, you seem to be in a hurry, why is that?"

There and then, Sakura knew that Itachi had known it was a lie. Of course, with how badly Sakura told lies, who wouldn't? Well, there was Naruto but that was a different story all together. "Ah, nothing big," However, she still had to try and cover it up, "But um, it is quite important, so I have to go."

Sidestepping, she tried to evade any more questions from him. Successfully passing him, she let out an inward 'SHANARO', which was cut off by big, strong hands gripping her wrist and pulling her backwards. She stumbled from the strength of the pull and was about to, out of instinct, defend herself when she felt something crash against her lips.

Her lips had met Itachi's lips into a soft kiss. Her eyes dilated with the realization. Her arm, stretched out into a punch, softened and fell at her side. She shut her eyes, reveling at the sweetness and softness of the hard-faced man. But soon, it ended. "Itachi nii—Iya—Itachi…?" She corrected herself.

Itachi held Sakura's gaze by gripping her chin, "Did you forget about yesterday?" He asked with a straight face, or, at least, he tried to make it look like a straight face.

With Sakura, for some reason, all hold on his emotions weakened. Sakura could see the dwelling emotions that stirred within his irises. Worry, Panic, and a deep Sadness. They were enough to melt Sakura. She couldn't help herself anymore. His eyes looked like that of a lost boy begging to be taken home. She lost herself. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she stood on her tiptoes to reach his height. "You poor person…" She mumbled.

Itachi, the man who was never surprised, was shocked beyond possibility. His body grew rigid with the sudden embrace. "Sa…kura?" It took him a while, but he finally got a grip on himself. He lowered his hands, embracing her by the waist.

For a while, they stood there in a strong embrace. For a moment, the outside world and everything that came with it, worries, pain, sadness, had disappeared. Yet, there is a reason why things are called 'momentary'.

Sakura was the first to pull away, "Itachi," She had gotten used to calling him by his first name _without_ the honorific, "I'm sorry, I need to—"

He cut her off with the touch of his finger on her cherry pink lips, "Go…"

With just a smile, Sakura ran past him and out the backyard door.

Itachi stood there looking as emotionless as ever. His thoughts seized him. What had happened to Uchiha Itachi? Where had the shinobi who pulled people into illusions, genjutsu or not, gone? He was known to be the master of illusions, yet he could no longer lie to a certain pink haired girl. He had done that already once before. And it brought him great misery.

It was weird. He could afford to trick the entire clan, the Uchiha clan, and place his younger brother in all kinds of illusions for the sake of "love, life, and peace". But, for the very same reasons, he could not deceive Sakura.

Oh Kami, Itachi felt that he was going insane—sinking into confusion. Why, it would've been much easier if someone told him he had fallen into someone's illusions. That way, he could wake up and find himself in the middle of the battlefield with no Love, no Sakura, no Akatsuki, no Konoha, no Sasuke, no Uchiha clan—just him and the opponent in a fierce battle to the death.

But all of that was just a lonely thought, an excuse. This was reality. Ironic, how he spoke of what _really _was reality and what wasn't. But life had a funny way of doing things. And this was just one of them.

He sighed.

Itachi moved towards the window with slow, counted steps. He lifted his hand and gently parted the curtains to reveal the garden outside. Though he may well lie to others, he couldn't lie to himself. He couldn't deny the deep curiousity that dwelled within him. He wanted to know what Sakura was hiding, and he was going to find out.

**XxxxxxX**

"Sasuke!" Sakura found Sasuke brooding, as he usually did, on a rock in the Haruno Zen garden. It was a small Zen garden, not too luxurious like the ones of the Hyuuga but not poorly done either. White and gray rocks formed a circle, and a small shrine in honor of Sakura's late parents was situated in the middle.

Sasuke chose to sit on one of the bigger rocks that lay a few meters away from the circle forming pebbles. He glanced up at the mention of his name, or one could say he glanced up because of the person calling his name. What did she want? She was with his brother so what business did she have with him? He still had a lot of bitter feelings left inside of him. Oh how he badly wanted to kill Itachi. But he wouldn't, because _then_ Sakura would really hate him.

Sakura stopped in front of him. She stared into his charcoal gray eyes. Ah, those seductive gray eyes that always managed to, somehow, pull her in—just like Itachi's. She coughed her inner thoughts away, placing her fisted hand before her mouth as a gesture of doing so.

"What?" He said with a tone as sharp as his chidori-infused blade. Sasuke was always sharp, physically, emotionally, and mentally. It was only natural that his tongue was sharp as well.

"I…" She paused, trailing away. She shut her eyes away from him. She couldn't do it. Her arm tensed as her fingers flexed and then curled into a fist. _Damn it! Just say it!_

"Well?" Sasuke was getting impatient, but he tried his hardest not to look it. His face looked indifferent, almost like Itachi's except his had more emotion. Instead of Itachi's cold and uncaring indifferent expression, Sasuke had an aloof indifferent expression. As if he had somewhere else he'd rather be.

But this was what his faced seemed to give off. Truth be told, there was nowhere else he would rather be. Claimed or not, he would very much rather be with Sakura than anywhere else in the world. This he could not deny nor say outloud.

"It's about…" She paused, "…your confession the other day,"

He didn't react save for the prolonged silence. It was his non-responsive way of saying 'go on', although he didn't want her to go on. He already knew the answer.

"Sasuke-kun, you're one of my best friends, and for a long time I've liked you,"

_Ah, there comes the 'but'._ No more. Sasuke didn't want to hear anymore. He hopped off the rock with one fluid motion, landing on his left then his right. He was going to retreat; he was going to tell her he had better things to do and that he already knew the answer. But before any of his thoughts were executed, he had spoken without realizing it, "So you're finally going to say yes?" Damn it all. His pride wouldn't let him quietly stand down.

"Ah well I…" Sakura stammered, the younger Uchiha's expectations were high. Oh no. What if she told him it's not what he expected? Her heart began racing, worry and panic crossing her mind. She swallowed albeit the fear that gripped her. "Sasuke kun I was going to tell you that—"

"Took you long enough." Sasuke crept closer, making full use of his long, slender yet firm legs. He shortened the distance between them then extended his hand. His fingers, save the thumb, slid through her hair and cupped the side of her face while his thumb caressed her cheek.

Sakura flinched. His fingers kept her gaze locked with his. Her green eyes quivered beneath his touch; his lips were curved into a smirk—that blasted smirk that hypnotized any woman who passed by. "…Sasuke kun…" She managed to say in a bare whisper.

"…hm?" His smirk faded as he leaned closer to kiss her, "I've waited long for this, Sakura. Sakura…" He whispered her name over and over as if it was some kind of chant to keep her still.

His face inched closer and closer and Sakura felt her knees go weak. The intensity of the moment was increasing; her heart was hammering against her chest. Her gloved hands twitched, and so did her green eyes.

"Sakura…I love you." He said millimeters away from her lips—millimeters away from a kiss.

Sakura jolted back, breaking away from the spell, and pressed her hands on his chest to gently push him away. It was 'I love you' that did it. Once she heard those words she suddenly remembered Itachi the night before whispering it into her ear beneath the moonlit path.

She stood, arms flailed out, hands pressed against Sasuke's firm chest, right foot extended to steady herself. She couldn't take it, the tension. She bursted out, "Sasuke kun, I was going to say that you are my best friend and I appreciate your feelings, but as a best friend I must be honest with you! I cannot return your feelings! I'm sorry!" She was panting, relief coursing through her body. She had said it!

He didn't move. He stood there feeling her hands on his chest, letting the words sink in. 'I'm sorry'. Then he moved. Slowly taking a step back, he stared at her for a long time before turning on his heel. _Well, it was worth a try. _Wordlessly, he walked away and disappeared. That was the final punch, so to speak. His pride was truly beaten down, and there was nothing more he could do.

Thoughts of his brother raced through his mind. If he killed Itachi, would things be better for him? No. Sakura would simply hate him. He sighed. _I hope you're happy you bastard. You've got everything you always wanted; you've done horrible things and had gotten away from it…_ "If you hurt her, I'll kill you." He said to no one as he stood on a tree branch somewhere far from the Haruno household.

Wind swept through the Haruno backyard, blowing leaves along with it. Sakura stared at the spot where Sasuke had stood, "Oh Sasuke…I'm so sorry…" She sunk to her knees and cried for Sasuke's sake because she knew he had cried too much in the past already—his tears were dried up now.

**XxxxxxX**

Itachi stood emotionlessly by the window. Though his appearance told everyone he was his lethargic self, his insides were singing a hallelujah chorus, to say at the least. Sakura had rejected Sasuke, and, albeit feeling bad for his beloved brother, he reveled in the fact that Sakura was his. Sasuke was the only obstacle left, and now, because his otou otou had backed off, he could have Sakura to himself.

And yet, Sasuke's retreating and defeated form held itself in Itachi's mind. _Gomen, Sasuke. But…just once, let me be happy._ But he couldn't say that to Sasuke now, could he? In his eyes, Itachi had killed the Uchiha clan for the paltry reason of 'power'.

But Sasuke should've known, if he really knew Itachi, nothing he did was of impulse. Itachi Uchiha was not an impulsive man; everything he did was calculated.

This didn't include the time he plucked Sakura away from beneath the cherry blossoms years ago, or the time he entered her into the Akatsuki, or the time he kissed Sakura—so he was impulsive only when it came to Sakura. But what was to be expected? Emotions made people do stupid things.

But, whatever. He was happy, and he would think about complications later—another impulsive act including Sakura. He sighed, tearing his gaze away from the window, away from the crying form of Sakura. He turned on his heel and was about to leave Sakura alone when he met face to face with a tall blue-skinned man.

"Aren't you going to do something about it?" Kisame asked with a concerned frown on his face, "You know you want to."

"I am."

"Oh? Walking away is _doing something about it?_"

"Don't start with me, Kisame."

"She's crying and you're walking away?"

"She needs to be left alone,"

"Ah, I see, that's how you assessed the situation?"

Itachi twitched. He was still angry, and a little grateful, at Kisame from last night's drunken guilt-trip, and here he was somber but still with the same guilt-trip.

"You'll thank me later," he grinned at Itachi who replied with a cold glare and a shuffling of feet towards the garden.

He scoffed, "Master of genjutsu, my ass. He's still a young adult with raging hormones, that's about it." He nodded to himself. "Ah Love…"

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura was startled when she heard the back door creak shut. She turned around to see the other Uchiha staring at her through the same charcoal gray eyes. She sat there, watching Itachi come forward and kneel beside her. He consoled her with whispers and kisses, wiping away the tears with his lips. As he did, Sakura felt a fire burn inside of her—a deep longing that she couldn't quell in silence. She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace, much to the elder Uchiha's surprise.

She broke into loud cries. She tried to explain to him that she had lied, that she had rejected Sasuke, but it all came in the forms of stuttered sentences. Yet Itachi didn't mind. He understood Sakura as he always did. He smoothed her pink hair, pushing her to the crook of his neck. Without words, he held her as she cried, cradling her as he did when she was sad years ago.

**XxxxxxX**

The night was young, and already many were settling to their usual nightime endeavors.

Kisame was sprawled on the living room couch, three bottles of empty sake on the coffee table and the fourth bottle in his hands. A blush hinted his drunken stupor, as he lay his head back against the head of the couch. "Ah…Love…" He hiccupped, taking another gulp of his sake.

His mind, though drunk and hazy, wandered off to various things until it finally settled on the red-head aunt of Sakura. He was intoxicated, which only added to the dreamy like state of Kisame. He thought of Akane walking from the kitchen and settling down on his lap to do 'this and that' with him. He grinned to himself thinking about the utter pleasure of it.

"Ah…that would be heaven…" He took another gulp of his bottle when he realized it was empty, "damn," he hiccupped, "it…" He fell unconscious and drifted off into sleep, letting the bottle slip from his hands and fall onto the carpet.

A figure emerged from the kitchen and picked up the fallen bottle from the carpet, "You blue skinned idiot, drinking four bottles. The nerve of it, and it's my favorite brand too." Akane had her hands on her hips. She wore the usual sexy Chinese-inspired outfit and her red hair cascaded down her back like fire. Her blunt gray eyes stared at the blue skinned man.

She heard him mumble her name from the kitchen. It was obvious he was thinking of her. "Gah" She scoffed and leaned in close to Kisame, "You damned fool," She pressed her lips to his cheek and, with a small blush on her face, darted up the stairs leaving an unconscious Kisame on the couch, "Ah Akane…" He mumbled.

**XxxxxxX**

Tack. Tack. Tack.

"Would you stop that fucking counting? Don't you have other hobbies, like cross-stitching? Or voodoo or something?" Hidan was on his feet glaring daggers at the green eyed man who had his face covered and was obviously ignoring him. "OI! You ass hole! I'm talking to you!"

Silence.

"Alright, that's it! I've had enough!" He hurled his scythe towards Kakuzu who caught it easily with his hand and confiscated it then continued counting.

Hidan twitched with rage. How he wanted to strangle Kakuzu so much that his tendrils were squeezed right out of him. He had been praying to Jashin and as he did, Kakuzu was counting his money and he could hardly concentrate. It was bad enough to be stuck with him as his partner, but to be in the same room?

He groaned and went to his side of the room and buried his face into the pillow. Useless. Telling Kakuzu to stop counting money was like telling the rain to stop falling. Impossible.

"You're still praying to Jashin?" Kakuzu, who had ignored and counted in silence, finally spoke. He had finished counting; his money was stashed away somewhere Hidan didn't see, but Hidan guessed it was underneath his pillow.

"Of course I am, what are you, stupid?" Hidan's words were muffled by the pillow but were still understandable.

"No. I thought you would stop."

"Yeah? Well I didn't so leave me alone."

"You won't live long."

"Don't lecture me you old geezer!" Hidan flailed his arms out as if to whack Kakuzu away.

"Hmph, fine. You'll be executed if you try anything funny."

"Who says I will?"

"Who says you won't?"

Hidan lifted his head from the pillow and gave kakuzu a smug look, "…I hate you."

Kakuzu scoffed, "Well, it's your life that will end when they kill you, not mine." He turned, and revealed _another_ bag of money and laid it out on the table.

Hidan groaned and stuffed his face onto the pillow again.

**XxxxxxX**

"Oi, Sasori-danna," Deidara, cross-legged on top of his bed, was staring at Sasori's puppet.

"What?" Sasori, out of his shell, was gathering some parts that he unscrewed from the puppet.

"Do you think everything will be alright, hmph?"

"What do you mean?" Sasori eyed him oddly as he grabbed his screwdriver.

"I mean," Deidara lay back down, his arms folded behind his head, "Everything's going too smoothly, hmph. We've done too many crimes, and we get probation, yeah?"

"You should be thankful." Sasori muttered.

"I am, yeah. It's just…something doesn't feel right."

"Well, whatever happens, we're still deadly S-class shinobi. We'll be ready for anything."

"Mmm…alright, hmph." He scowled, but sighed it away. "Ne, Sasori-danna,"

"What is it now?" Sasori was getting impatient…as usual.

"Wouldn't Sakura chan's and my kids look great? Blue eyes and pink hair, green eyes and blond hair, they'd be irresistible. Don't you agree?"

Sasori glared at him, "Give up." He told him.

"Oi! That's not very nice, hmph. I get along with that blond friend of hers. If I befriend all her friends then they'll recommend me, yeah."

"What kind of logic is that?" Sasori insulted him from a safe distance.

Deidara glared at him, "A carefully thought out one." He frowned at the redhead.

"A _carefully_ thought out one, huh? You really are a gaki." Sasori said through bored, uninterested eyes albeit the mocking tone of his voice.

Deidara felt rage burn from his insides. But he would act like a grown up and hold it in. He scowled and slumped back down onto his bed.

**XxxxxxX**

Nagato and Konan lay on the bed asleep in each other's arms. They relished the peaceful times they were in despite knowing the _pain_ the others were going through elsewhere. They decided to trust in Sakura. She promised peace, and she would give it to them. They hoped, in their thwarting of their own plans, that Sakura would keep her promise.

**XxxxxxX**

A deep sigh emerged from Sasuke's paled lips. He sat in his own room, in the darkness, brooding on certain things. It seemed that brooding was his only escape. Thinking about memories, the good times, and everything else that was not painful, he would find his inner peace.

His charcoal gray eyes fixed on the picture frame that stood by his bedside table. Long fingers held the edge of the frame and pulled it towards him. He examined it, the sides were aged and the edges were a little dusty. He had left it in his mini Uchiha compound when he left for power, and got it back when he moved into the Haruno household.

He gave another sigh. He was in an obvious state of depression. His free hand raked through his hair. His thumb that held the frame caressed the faces of Sakura and himself. Regret coursed through him. He had left for power and left her by her lonesome. She had given her love to him, but he left her. It wasn't right in one way, but was perfectly right in another. He had left things unknotted between them, without words or explanation, but he had done so for her own good.

What would've happened to her if he had brought her? Of course she would have been killed. She would've been harmed in someway by that bastard of a snake, and he didn't want that. But his mistake fell on his pride—again. He had not told her his feelings, he had acted cold, and he had made her feel like he hated her. That was his mistake—the inability to drop his pride and pour out his feelings for her the way Itachi did the night before. Unlike his elder brother, he left things unknotted, unfinished, towards the point where they could no longer be tied once again, and a new string was needed.

This was also one difference between Itachi and himself. His older brother was the responsible, gifted brother who never failed to do anything. He achieved anything and everything with his own power—even the slaughter of his own family. And he would do so without a hint of regret, remorse, or a tinge of doubt. He executed things perfectly. He was perfect in the most unperfect way—the perfect evil, as Sasuke would say.

Sasuke had to admit, amidst the deep seated hatred he felt for Itachi, it was partly caused by his envy. Again, his pride wouldn't allow someone to be better than him. Perhaps his greatest flaw was pride. He had plunged into the depths of darkness because his pride didn't allow him to stand back up. A prideful avenger, that was what Sasuke was.

Though an avenger he was, killing Itachi was not an option. But not to worry, he would find _some_ way to pay him back. One day, he would see, Sasuke would get his revenge one way or another. He had to, for his pride's sake.

**XxxxxxX**

The room was dimly lit save for the lamp on Itachi's desk. The windows were closed and the draperies hid anything that went on inside. Even the door was locked from the inside, bolted so no one could get in.

"Itachi…" She whispered out his name. She sat, propped on the edge of the bed. Her creamy white legs were fully exposed. Her leggings had been discarded earlier along with her top. Her skirt and intimate apparel were the only ones touching her skin aside from a shirtless Itachi Uchiha.

**[Because of the nature of the content within the next few lines, this has been censored. Please refer to the cut out of this chapter.]**

Then something occurred to him. In his lust, he realized what he was about to do: Take her innocence.

He pulled away, withdrawing from his holy grail. Sakura sat up, wondering what was wrong. Her arm propped up, she glanced down at Itachi who was staring down at the floor. "Itachi…?" She asked.

"I…can't…" he mumbled with forlorn eyes. He refused to look at her. He knew he had disappointed her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Take the purity of his darling Sakura, his little cherry blossom.

Sakura sat there in silence, "I'm sorry," She whispered, "It's me isn't it?" Tears welled up in her eyes for the second time that day for another Uchiha.

Itachi looked up with shocked eyes. She should've been mad, relieved or sad, shouldn't she? But she was…sorry. Really, she never failed to surprise her. He stood and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "No, don't cry. It's not you…" he wrapped his arms around her slender yet firm waist.

"Then why?"

"I can't bring myself to do it" Good ol' Sakura, bringing out the honesty in him.

"I don't understand…"

"I can't take your innocence…"

Innocence. There he was rambling about her _innocence_ again. How lovely it would be to be called innocent, true, like Virgin Mary or a sweet angel, but she was none of that. She was far from innocent.

Sakura ceased her crying, turning to him with full green eyes, "innocence? How am I innocent, Itachi?" Her eyes were sullen and her tone authoritative.

Itachi stared at her for a long time before he buried his face in the crook of her neck, "Never mind that, beloved. Please," He begged her not to ask him to explain. It was too…obscene. He didn't want to go on about the Uchiha incident and all that _shit_ he had wanted to forget. "Next time, for now, please, let me hold you."

This man held on to Sakura in his weakest. Who was this man? She had never seen or dreamed of this side of Itachi, weak, vulnerable, and pleading. What was so important about her _innocence_, so he claimed. How she wanted to continue, tell him she was not innocent but was a dirty being just as the rest of the people in the world. There was nothing special about her, that was for sure. But with the way he clung to her desperately trying to escape explaining himself, she didn't bother to ask.

In moments, she realized she was stark naked. She coughed, blushing a dark red, and told Itachi she would put some clothes on to which the older Uchiha obliged by letting her go. She gathered her clothes and left the room, but as she was about to open the door, Itachi spoke, "Come back, stay with me tonight." He said, almost demanding.

She turned to him with confused eyes.

"Ah but I only mean to literally sleep with you, beloved cherry blossom." He gave her that ghost of a smile of his, something very rare. She smiled back at him, blushing as she remembered he had seen her in her bareness, then darted out his room.

Soon, however, she returned to take her place beside him, dressed in her sleeping gown, to rest for the night. Itachi lay there on his bed. He wrapped his arm around her as she placed herself next to him.

He was only sorry that he had not claimed her. He had backed out at the last moment, but things would happen in time, wouldn't they? Itachi felt the drowsiness come to him. His eyelids were about to close when he felt Sakura shift to face him. She stared at him with her emerald eyes, "Is something wrong, Sakura?"

Sakura grinned and kissed him deeply. It lasted for a few seconds before she pulled away and snuggled into his chest, "If you're worried," She said, "don't be. I'm yours." She drifted off after that into a coma-like sleep. She was tired, the day's events had taken a toll at her.

And as Sakura had drifted off into her own dreamland, Itachi lay there baffled. Her words had struck him. 'I'm yours'. He smirked and kissed the top of her head. Really, this girl never ceased to amaze him. "Sleep, my beloved cherry blossom."

_ I am yours. _

**XxxxxxX**

**-Whoo hoo! More fluff xD I am so sorry for the late reply again. xD And I am sorry for the un-climaxed (hehehehe) lemon, I just felt that it wouldn't be right if he took her virginity. I mean, you're talking about purity and innocence here. He kept telling her she was pure and innocent and then he takes her virginity? True, it could mean her innocence was his but it just…didn't feel right. But hey, it's a free country, ne?**

**-So things are at peace for the moment. The next chapter will be, well, **_**might**_** be a filler chapter for comedy/tension remover sakes. But what the heck, let's just see how this goes :D Hopefully I can get it done before the month ends. xD I'm so sorry SasuSaku fans. xD**

**-Oh and if I may ask a favor, could you guys compare my writing style pre-this chapter? I hope I got better in my 4 month absence. xD**

_**-"Maybe this is madness! Maybe that's what hell is. You go mad and all your demons come and get you just as fast as you can think them up"—Lestat, Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice. (The book I am currently reading. xD I love Anne Rice, she is my hero, so to speak)**_


	24. ExChapter: First Impressions

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**-Oh yes, it's one of those again! Thanks for the reviews guys :D Although, I notice my review per chapters are getting fewer. =( Is there something wrong with my story? If there is, please give me feedback so I can adjust. =)**

**-Ah yes, this was a request from one of my faithful reviewers 333 though, because I've already covered how some of the Akatsuki met Sakura: itachi, Hidan, and Kakuzu, I decided to cover the rest. **

**-Sorry, aside from senior life, the recent Naruto chapters killed my muse =/ Well, not only did Kishi bash Sakura's character, but he got my hopes up then killed them. xD My muse was also killed by the fact that so many people have converted to NaruSaku and how people Bash Sasuke. Seriously, he could be EMO, but isn't it psychologically natural for a person to be like that? Imagine your entire family killed infront of you =/ I don't think a normal person would be able to do what Sasuke did. The only reason Sasuke was able to pull through and turn grief into vengeance was because he was a shinobi—violence is a normal thing. A human being would've probably shattered. BUT this is my opinion. So anyway, here's the extra chapter sorry for the rant =D XD**

**XxxxxxX**

**Extra Chapter 4**

**~First Impressions~**

"Ne, Itachi nii san, where are we going?" No more than half Itachi's height, young Sakura trailed after Itachi like a curious, young puppy.

Itachi responded with silence. Clad in his Anbu uniform, he could still feel the blood caked in various parts of his body. How many days had it been since he killed his clan? One? Two? A week? He didn't know.

"It's been three days since we left Konoha…" She groaned, slumping down because her knees were beginning to buckle beneath her.

Itachi held back a grunt. He almost believed she was a mind reader. "If you can't keep up then just go back," Itachi inclined his head towards her, eyeing her with charcoal gray eyes.

Sakura shriveled back, placing her hands behind her and pouted whilst she circled her foot on the ground, "Gomen…Itachi nii san…" green eyes turned away, Sakura refused to meet his eyes.

Itachi stared at her, seeing her sorry little figure trying its best to apologize. He sighed and extended his hand towards her, "Come, I'll carry you,"

Sakura's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, "A-ah, n-no! I was just suggesting we rest. Y-you don't need to—AH! Itachi nii san!"

Itachi scooped her up in his arms regardless of her resistance. Over time, after futile attempts of thrashing, she finally gave up and settled down, allowing her limbs drop. "We're almost there," He reassured her.

**XxxxxxX**

A shabby mansion soon came into view. The road, cracked and weathered as it was, paved way towards the mansion's eroded wooden gates. Where was this place? And why was it so old? Sakura wondered in silence as she held onto Itachi's hand.

Together he and she walked past the overgrown grass bits and fallen ruins to enter what appeared to be the main entrance. There was no door; if one existed, it was gone now. Only an archway provided a way of entry for the two.

"A new member has arrived," a deep voice boomed. It was monotonous and much like Itachi's except it lacked the mildness in tone. The new voice was robust, not like Itachi's that gave off a benevolent nature.

Itachi told Sakura to stay where she was and entered the building. Sakura leaned in, trying to see what they were talking about. She heard words such as 'welcome', 'leader sama', and 'Itachi Uchiha', but the other words were all fuzzy and hard to recall. The next thing she heard was Itachi calling out to her.

With careful footing and a small blush on her face, she sauntered through the archway, but found herself reeling back upon seeing the people inside. Aside from Itachi, there were others there: A long haired man with silken hair and eyes of amber lined with purple markings, a man with hair twisted up so they spiked up from behind him and a mouth that seemed wooden, a blue skinned man holding a huge sword wrapped in bandages, a blue haired woman with deep set bluish gray eyes that glowed with golden highlights and a paper rose affixed on her head, and an orange haired man with several piercing on his face. The sight overwhelmed her. She could feel their strength emanate through them. Sakura knew that they were people who couldn't be easily trusted nor crossed.

"Hm, and what use could she be?" The orange haired man asked.

Itachi fell silent. He didn't have an answer, obviously. Since they left Konoha, Itachi had been wondering about why he brought her along—what the real reason was. And it dawned on him, as the question hit him straight in the face, that there was no reason. It was an impulsive action.

"If she's of no use, why don't we just get rid of her?" The man, who crouched down on his fours and had skin that looked like it was made of wood, suggested to the others. Of course, Sakura didn't think it was made of wood. He talked and moved, how could he be inhuman?

Itachi felt his blood boil, "No," he said pertly, to which he realized his rudeness by lowering his head, "I will train her to be of asset to the organization. Besides, what can a little girl do?"

"Exactly, isn't that the point? What _can_ a little girl do except cause trouble?"

Sakura stood there hearing them talk about her as if she wasn't there. She hated it. Being treated like a _little_ girl who was worthless. Well, she was worthless, but nevertheless she wasn't _completely _useless…was she? "Uhm, ano,…" She mumbled out.

No one paid attention to her. They kept eyeing and debating with one another, and were so into it that they didn't notice the small girl calling out to them. That was it. She really didn't like this.

"EXCUSE ME!"

All attention focused on her. The orange haired one with purple ringed eyes glared at her, "What?" He demanded.

"I…" Sakura stammered, "I may not be a strong shinobi b-but, I will do anything to stay! Um I mean," Her fingers entwined with one another, "I can't fight but I c-can cook and clean and do housework!"

Her bold statement was answered with silence. No one spoke; as if they were letting her words sink in.

"You came from Konoha?" The orange haired man broke the silence, "Why did you bother leaving it? What good came from you leaving that place?"

Sakura glanced at him before his purple eyes struck fear and she was forced to tear her gaze away, "I…" Her gaze fixed on her toes "I left because…" She paused trying to find the right words and a way to explain the turmoil of emotions she felt. On that night, she just wanted to get away from everything. She wanted to leave the place of sorrow, of sadness, of…pain, "I wanted to get away from the pain."

The people in the room were still. To them, Sakura assumed, that her answer was something only a child would say; her statement was childish. But, as she glanced up to look at htem, she noticed something different about the way the orange haired man and the blue haired girl looked at her. It seemed, she concluded, that she had piqued some kind of interest between the two.

"Get away from the pain…you say?" He repeated the words as if he could better understand them if he did. After doing so, he turned and walked towards the exit without giving a passing glance at Sakura even when he crossed her path.

The blue haired girl trailed after the orange haired man, and, when she did, the others, save for Itachi, trailed after her.

As the orange haired man reached the edge of the archway, he turned his head towards Itachi and Sakura, "Itachi, aren't you coming?" His statement, though was directed as a question, sounded more like a demand: 'Itachi, come now'.

Itachi glanced at Sakura before returning his gaze at the orange haired man.

"The girl will get fatigue if we don't go now. Are you going to leave her to die somewhere? Besides, I think it'd take some time before she gets used to the surroundings in the main base." The orange haired man said without a change in his facial expressions. With that, he turned and continued walking out the uninhabited residence.

Itachi, stunned, watched him exit before he turned to Sakura. He, extending his hand towards her, patted her head, "Come now."

Sakura didn't understand. Was she allowed to stay? Was she going to be dumped somewhere?

"Sakura," Itachi called out to her as he was already at the doorway, "Don't you understand? He's allowed you to stay."

Sakura's eyes lit up with a bliss she had long forgotten. She raced towards Itachi to find her place at his right side. And, taking his hand, they walked out to join the rest of the group.

**XxxxxxX**

The main base was big. And when she said big, she meant BIG. It towered high above the clouds and was wider than the gates of Konoha. The mountains that lined Konoha would not even compare to the height of the towers. However, if there was something Konoha had that Amegakure did not have, it was a light—a glow of happiness that suffused the blue sky. Amegakure was such a desolate place. It was no wonder that when she first entered the place and felt the rain drops on her face, Sakura began crying.

"Is something wrong, little girl?" The blue skinned man asked from Itachi's left side, "You're crying…"

Sakura sniffled, wiping her tears with her arm, "It's…just…s-so sad…this place."

The blue haired woman, who had heard the whimpers of the young pink haired girl, approached her and gave her a butterfly origami, "Please stop crying," Her voice was deep, authoritative, much like the orange haired one, but it held a certain tenderness to it.

Sakura looked at the blue haired woman, wiping her tears in the process, and, taking the butterfly in her hands, nodded to the woman. "Th…Thank you…"

"Sakura," Itachi beckoned for her to come with a gesture of his hands.

Sakura, turning her attention away from the blue haired woman, darted off towards Itachi without hesitation. "Itachi nii san!"

Itachi felt tiny arms wring around his waist, "Sakura," his face was a mixture of concern and caution, "Don't mingle too much." '_With them_' he left out. He had intended to scold her, but he couldn't help but feel a little guilty with the way her green eyes shifted away from him and onto something non-existent.

"Oi, don't be so cautious," Tall and blue, the shark-faced man gave Itachi and Sakura a toothy grin, "Although I'm not sayin' it's wrong to be cautious. Just, don't be a worrywart. At this point, there's no reason for any of us to do anything to you."

"Hn," was Itachi's short reply towards the blue skinned man who was dissatisfied at such an _unresponsive_ response and showed this through a scowl.

"Meh, whatever, hey little squirt!" The blue skinned man had turned his attention towards Sakura who was hiding behind Itachi, "Hey now, no need to be so scared!" He pointed his thumb at himself, "My name is Kisame! Hoshikage Kisame!" Beady black eyes smized at the pink haired child.

Sakura fingered with the hem of her maroon shirt, not knowing what to say. Honestly, what could she say? He was tall, and BLUE, and…scary. Even if the man was all smiles, his sharp teeth still gave Sakura the impression of that of a hungry great white—or blue—shark. Thus, despite the friendly smile and a tiny part of Sakura's heart telling her it was safe to interact with the beast, Sakura continued to seek refuge.

Kisame, however, took this a sign of shyness. He extended his hand towards her but was met with a scared Sakura and an irritated Itachi stepping between the two. Defeated, Kisame straightened up and with a deep sigh, turned to quicken his pace. All he wanted was to get to know the little girl. This always happened—every single damn time! He never got along with kids or women because of his blue skin. He inwardly whimpered, tightening his grip on Samehada. _Samehada, you're the only thing I got._

Sakura, guilty, watched the retreating figure walk away with his back hunched in defeat. Somehow, deep down, Sakura felt that the blue man meant no harm. And, later, she would find that "Kisame nii kun", who she first feared, would be one of her closest friends.

**XxxxxxX**

It was dark. Sometime in the middle of the night, young Sakura got hungry and decided to wander away from Itachi and look for the refrigerator. Unfortunately, the main base was so huge, that Sakura had gotten lost on the first turn. Circular windows lined the hallway on her right and doorways upon doorways lined her left. She sighed, was there a way out? How dearly she wished Itachi would appear and sweep her off her feet to safety.

Lightning and Thunder danced with the rain outside the windows. Droplets slid down the glass and dripped down below the towering main base. With each clap of thunder, Sakura jolted and winced, pulling her arms towards her chest. She was getting paranoid, where was Itachi?

She whimpered. She turned a corner and found herself on the extremes of a long hallway. A flash of white and Sakura had yelped in surprise. Outside, the rain was pouring harder. She wished someone would save her. Anyone. Anything.

Another flash of white and Sakura found herself falling over from fright. She let out a scream that even she was deaf to. At the end of the hall, something appeared—something extremely frightening. Sure, she had wished for ANYTHING to save her, but this wasn't her idea of a hero! Whatever the thing across her was, it was on all fours and had a sharp tail. A hell hound? A monster? She didn't know. However, what she did know was that it was coming towards her.

She scrambled to get up, tears tracing the shape of her cheek, "IYA!" Suddenly, she felt the tip of its pointy tail brush against a few strands of her hair. It was near. She swallowed and felt her body freeze. She was paralyzed with fear. She shut her eyes hoping the _thing_ would go away.

"Sakura…" The thing whispered her name with a deep voice that rumbled like the thunder outside.

She gasped, opening her eyes with shock. Slowly, she craned her heads towards the thing. Then, with another flash of white, the lightning revealed the _thing. _

"…Sakura" it said again, "What're you doing here?"

Sakura, felt relief wash over her. "Sasori sama!" She sprang to her feet and linked her arms around the wooden bulk before her.

Sasori, within his puppet, cocked his head to the side, "Um…everyone's looking for you. Itachi kept asking around for you."

At the mention of her beloved nii san's name, she pulled back, "Ah…gomen. I got hungry and I," She whimpered. She had made Itachi nii san worry; she felt guilty.

"It's alright, you can explain to him when we get back," Sasori assured her, to Sakura's surprise, as he began walking towards the exit.

A few minutes later, Sakura burst into sobs and apologies in front of Itachi and the rest of the Akatsuki.

"Soft spot for the squirt, eh?" Kisame poked at the red haired puppeteer.

He scoffed, "Hmph, she was crying out in the hall too loudly. Loud brat…"

When Sakura first learned that the Sasori she knew was just a wooden puppet, it had left a bad taste in her mouth. Why did Sasori insist on hiding inside a wooden thing? Moreover, when she learned that 'Sasori' had a huge scorpion tail wagging behind him, Sakura had found herself running for cover.

However, her bad first impressions were proven wrong when she saw the real Sasori for the first time. It was an early evening when Sasori was forced to get out of his 'shell' for maintenance. He didn't think anyone was around, so he decided it was safe to do a quick maintenance on the spot. There and then, Sakura saw the real Sasori, red hair and all, get out. To be honest, Sakura was quite taken with Sasori. He was good-looking and quite young—much younger than what she made him to be.

Unfortunately for Sasori, he learned that Sakura had seen him as she darted down the hall and into the meeting room to tell the others about Sasori's real face. Infuriated, Sasori had called her a 'loud brat' for a period of time. Soon though, after Sakura apologized nonstop, he dropped the name with the excuse of 'getting tired of this immature game'. Sakura, though, figured it was Sasori's way of saying 'I forgive you'.

Though, once in awhile, he'd still call her that; however, it was more of a pet name than an insult. Sasori would eventually stop calling her a loud brat when a new 'gaki' would enter the organization. He would have the same passion for art as Sasori, and he would eventually become the new partner of Sasori.

**XxxxxxX**

Velvet curtains hampered the light from illuminating the room. Dust fluttered about the room accumulating in piles here and there. The bed, edged in the corner of the room, stood unruly and unkept. Above it sat a blonde who leaned on the corner of the room with his left knee propped up. His elbow, that supported his head, rested on his knee. Blue eyes stared absent-mindedly into space.

A sigh escaped his cut up lips while his free arm raked through his silken blond hair, "Uchiha bastard, hmph"

Deidara was bruised up and cut up in different places from his previous fight from Itachi. The blood had dried and the cuts had closed up, but Deidara's pride had not healed. His brows furrowed from the thought of Itachi defeating him, Deidara. After numerous sighs and grumbles, Deidara dropped his head onto his hands. "I swear I'll—"

He heard the indistinct creak of the doorway, and lifted his head to see who or what was coming inside his room. Dim lights flooded into his room. He had to squint his eyes from the sudden burst of light, "Who's there?" He held his arm out in front of his face to shield himself from whatever had come into the room.

"Gomen, did I disturb you?" a small voice cooed out from the doorway.

Deidara lowered his arm and rubbed his eyes because for a moment there, he thought he was seeing a girl with _pink _hair. He thought the pink hue was just his eyes adjusting to the light. But, after opening and closing his eyelids, he realized that he _was_ seeing a pink haired girl. _'Hmph, fancy seeing a pink haired girl, yeah'. _

"I'm sorry, I was just going to bandage you. You see, I heard from Itachi nii—" She was cut off by a sudden recoil of the blonde. Upon hearing the name of the source of his humiliation (and current hate), he turned away and shut his ears.

Sakura, wondering why the blonde did such a thing, approached him anyway. Bandages and ointments in her hands, she sat beside the blonde. "Look, your wounds will get infected if you don't treat them."

Deidara glanced at the girl. Judging from her height, she was only a few years younger than him—around 9 or 10—but, from the tone of her voice, she could've passed off as a twelve year old. Deidara ignored her, letting her treat his arm without speaking a single word towards her.

Sakura, once in a while, would glance at the back of the blonde's head hoping that he would utter even a single word. But, he didn't. "I heard you were defeated by Itachi nii san," She said casually.

Deidara winced at her words, pulling his arm back, "Hmph," he grunted, not once turning to look at the girl who had offended him.

"I see," Sakura cocked her head to the side finally realizing the cause of the child's bad mood, "Ne, you don't have to feel so bad,"

Deidara gritted his teeth as his hand curled into a tight fist. More and more, this girl was getting on her nerves. One more and he was going to stick a bomb into her mouth.

"You're really amazing though. You're just probably a year older than me but you survived with only this much damage?" She praised him, slowly reaching out the place some bandages on his untreated arm.

Suddenly, Deidara felt the dark aura around him dissipate with just a few words of acknowledgement, "Hmph, the fight was nothing, really," He muttered out.

Sakura stopped hearing the child's voice for the first time. She smiled to herself, "Eh?" She commented whilst she placed ointments on some scars, "Itachi nii san's really strong and you say it was nothing? Wow, you're amazing!"

For the first time in a long time, Deidara heard words of praise directed at him—HIM. For some time, all he had heard were death threats and words of precaution. If he were praised, it was for the amount of danger he imposed on the people. Never had he been praised such as how the young girl had praised him. He turned his head, hoping to steal a glance at the young girl.

"There, all better!" Sakura chirped beaming him a smile as he turned towards her.

Deidara found himself stunned. Pink short locks that tapered at shoulder-length swayed with the slight cock of her head. Her eyes, green as an emerald forest, glowed with a brilliance he couldn't explain. And her smile, oh kami her smile, was like a bright burst of sunlight. That image, the image of her smile, had plastered itself into his brain. It was a thing of spectacular beauty. And the best part was, it was for a fleeting moment. That brilliant image of her disappeared as soon as she heard her name being called from down the hall.

"SAKURA" a deep voice that belonged to Itachi called out.

Sakura darted towards the door and said something that was inaudible to Deidara. He was in such a daze he didn't realize who was calling Sakura, what Sakura had said to him before she left, or what she had said to Itachi when he asked her why he was in Deidara's room which was: "I was treating the nee san. She seemed to be badly injured."

**XxxxxxX**

"Peace and quiet,"

**"Shut up, she'll find us"**

"you shut up,"

"ZETSU NII SAN!" A small feminine voice called out from inside the house.

**"Fuck it, I told you to shut up"**

"Ch—she'll find us. We've gotta go,"

**"damn it, hurry or she'll start watering us and feeding us fertilizer"**

"Or shit to be exact"

**"Whatever" **

Zetsu sunk into the ground and disappeared just before a pink haired girl came with a watering can in one hand and a spade on the other. She glanced around and, seeing as there was nobody, went back through the direction she came from.

When she had gone, Zetsu rose from the ground and stared at the retreating girl's figure.

"This was Kisame's fault."

**"That fish face went on about us being a Venus fly trap,"**

"As soon as she saw us she began showering us with water without us knowing why."

**"Maa, we'll get revenge later." **Dark Zetsu scoffed, **"Venus fly trap my Anus. Ch—Oi, why don't we eat her?"**

"Itachi will kill us" White Zetsu warned his other half.

**"Fuck it" **Dark Zetsu groaned and coaxed his other half to sink into the ground.

**XxxxxxX**

One fine morning, Sakura walked down to discover one of the members missing, "Ne, Itachi nii san," she asked a sitting Itachi, "Where did that one member go?"

"Who?" Itachi asked as he read his book. He was sitting on a robust wooden chair while his elbow was propped on top of the matching dining table before him.

"Uhm, the one with the long tongue."

Itachi realized that Sakura was talking about Orochimaru. Hm, the snake bastard wasn't part of the organization anymore, but he couldn't tell Sakura that, "He went somewhere," he answered.

"Ooooh, okay. Is he coming back?" Sakura leaned in waiting for itachi's answer."

"Why? Do you like him?" itachi asked with a brow raised.

"Eh? NO! Just—curious that's all." Sakura said to the ground as she clacked her heels together and wound her arms behind her.

"Well, no he's not coming back."

"Oh,"

"He went to look for little boys," Itachi remarked without a change in tone (if he had one) in his voice.

"…oh…" Sakura didn't know what he was talking about but skipped off somewhere, losing interest in the topic.

Itachi, satisfied with the flow of the conversation, lifted his cup and took a sip from it. "Well, wherever he is, he'll need a hand." He said so with a nonchalant look on his face as he took another sip of his tea.

**XxxxxxX**

**-Well, there you have it. A VERY long extra chapter xD I'll be typing the rest now. Oh and by the way, there really is such a thing as 'smize'. It is to smile with your eyes. =3 **

**-Hope I got you to smile even just a little. Get it? He's looking for little boys? :)) And he needs a 'hand'? Oh whatever LOL The manga's been so depressing and what with our Sasuke falling even deeper into the darkness and Sakura's character just being bashed. Gahd, I hope SS still happens. (Sorry, my OTP is SasuSaku; ItaSaku is my fav crack pairing (or 2****nd**** OTP) ) **


	25. Chapter 20: Remorse

**-I do not own Naruto; **

**-Haha what an influx of reviews! Thanks so much for waiting. T_T I've been so busy. I graduated Highschool and was suddenly tossed in a whirlwhind called College. xD Everything's been SO hectic I barely had the time to even THINK of my fanfics let alone Naruto. xD It's sad, really. = = (written 2010)**

**-Allo! I sincerely apologize to my readers! It has been a very, VERY long time. As I said late last year, I had been tossed into College and my course, Nursing, isn't really a walk in the park. Truthfully, I've had half of the chapter done before my unexplained hiatus, but I've only gotten around to finish it now. About the completion of the story, I honestly don't know when I'll be able to release the next chapters. But, I deeply thank my loyal fans who still await my releases even when they take forever. xD Lots of love from me. (2011)**

**XxxxxxX**

**Chapter 20**

**~Remorse~**

Itachi stirred from his sleep. He groaned, feeling the hot sunbeams press against his face, and then roused himself to wake. Birds chirped just a few inches from his window that proclaimed the newly risen sun. He uncurled, stretching his arms like a panther, and squeezed his eyelids tightly before opening them again. A groan. Cloudy vision. He sat up, and took one good look at his surroundings. His room looked exactly as it normally did: white cream walls, a dresser on one side and a side table on the other, and other furnishings. Two doors bordered the walls. One led to the bathroom while the other led to the hallway outside.

But keen Itachi realized at once what was wrong with this perfectly normal scene: No Sakura.

Where was the pink haired girl who was supposed to be asleep beside him? Well, if he hadn't stopped last night, she would no longer be a girl but a woman. But where exactly was she? His side was completely empty and there was no sign whatsoever of someone ever being there—neatly fixed as it was.

He slid off his bed and grabbed his discarded shirt with a sense of sudden urgency. He quickly placed the black article of clothing and, after tying his hair into a quick ponytail, darted down the hall to look for his missing cherry blossom. Left and right, he searched for any sign of her whereabouts, but all the doors were either locked or occupied. Growing frantic by the second, Itachi turned a corner and decided to make his way into the common rooms. With an imitation of a calm and collected expression on his face, he was half way the staircase when he stopped. For a brief moment, he took in a whiff of something. On a hunch, he quickened his pace though never losing his poise and entered the kitchen.

He felt his breath escape his lips when he felt relief pass over him, for Sakura Haruno, clad in her casual outfit and a pink cotton apron draped over her torso, stood with her back against him. From the way she persisted on flipping pancakes, he figured that she was too engrossed in her breakfast-making to notice the Uchiha's presence. But, Itachi took this opportunity to indulge himself with the scene before him.

Sakura hummed to herself. It was a familiar song that was gradually growing in popularity among the citizens, but the name escaped both Itachi and Sakura's minds. In truth, none of them even bothered to remember the name as both were deeply attached in their own endeavors. Itachi could smell the pancakes cooking within the frying pan. Evidence of her cooking was sprawled over the kitchen counter tops. Used tools were in the sink, already doused in water and ready for scrubbing, while the unused were waiting a few inches from Sakura's side.

Then, something came over him. With the silent footing of a cat, Itachi approached Sakura and suddenly wound his arms around her waist earning him a gasp from the pink head. With a frying pan on her left hand, pancakes cooking on it, and a spatula on her right hand, Sakura froze. She inclined her head upwards towards her silent assailant. "Itachi…!"

Itachi let out a rare chuckle, much to Sakura's surprise, and nuzzled the top of her head with his chin. "Good morning cherry blossom," he greeted her.

Sakura felt a light blush taint her cheeks pink, "Erm, good morning to you too."

"You left me." Itachi said as he nuzzled her with his jaw, "Why?"

"I'm sorry," Sakura placed the frying pan down on the stove and her spatula in the counter top, "Aunt had to go somewhere, so I had to make breakfast." Her free hand lifted and caressed his hard face, "I didn't want to wake you, either. You seemed so peaceful. It's been so long since I saw your sleeping face like that…"

His sleeping face—he only ever showed it around Sakura. No one had ever seen him sleep peacefully…except Sakura. Of course, being an S-class criminal, you had enemies, and you could never let your guard down for one second. Itachi had his eyes fixated on her face—her brilliant sun-drenched face that glowed with an unexplainable light. He wound his arms tighter around her waist, and pecked the top of her forehead. "Don't do that again."

Sakura let out a giggle and inclined her head to plant a kiss on his lips, "Sorry, I won't." She leaned her head back against his beating heart and basked in the peace they were currently sharing. He had his arms around her waist while Sakura's hands rested on his own. Her neck tilted upwards so she could rest her head in the crook of his neck whilst he nestled his chin on the top of her head. She and he alone holding each other, it was so perfect. She wished it would last forever.

"The pancakes are burning," Sakura and Itachi broke apart from the embrace as they turned their heads towards the doorway.

Beat red, Sakura turned away and continued cooking, "Ah…you're right, Sasuke."

The younger Uchiha leaned on the doorframe wearing a navy blue sleeveless shirt and his usual ankle-length pants; his katana rested on his side. His spiked hair brushed against the tops of the doorframe while his arms were folded across his chest. One leg crossed over the other, his face turned towards the couple. His eyes were dull, but they didn't look emotionless. Rather, he looked tired, sleepy even.

Itachi wondered when the other Uchiha had gotten there and how long he had been there. He didn't even notice Sasuke. He let his guard down and that could've proven fatal to both him and Sakura. He inwardly beat himself for making such a possibly fatal error.

"What's up with you, Itachi," he still said his name so scornfully, "A second with Sakura," He said her name so tenderly, "and you let your guard down." Not caring for Itachi's response, Sasuke strode and sat nearest to where Sakura was. Dark charcoal eyes stared at dark charcoal eyes as both Uchiha brothers stared at one another with the same cold expression.

Sakura, caught between the crossfire (or "crossice"), felt a cold chill behind her. Not able to take it anymore, she turned around to face the two Uchiha brothers, "Ne, itachi, Sasuke, why don't we just have breakfast peacefully, alright?"

"I still want to kill you, don't you dare forget that." The two were obviously in their own worlds because even they, who loved Sakura dearly, ignored her.

"I know," Itachi remarked without a change in his mask.

Sasuke broke away from his brother and smirked, "Whatever," His hand hooked behind the chair as he leaned back. He let his head drop backwards and turn towards Sakura, "Oi, breakfast done yet?"

Sakura, quite insulted with the fact that they were earlier ignoring her and were now demanding things of her, felt her blood boil, "Not yet, Sasuke sama". Her remark earned her a smirk from Sasuke along with a grunt as a package. She gripped the handle of the spatula tightly feeling her temper rise.

"Mind your manners, Sasuke," Itachi scolded as he made his way to sit across his otou otou.

Sasuke responded with an arrogant grunt, "I don't need you to tell me that, seeing as you don't have manners yourself—or morals for that matter"

"Sasuke…!" Sakura turned towards Sasuke whose piercing glare focused on Itachi alone. It seemed that Sasuke was oblivious of the outside world. Sakura could feel the atmosphere grow colder and the mood grow serious.

"I really…hate you. I want to kill you so badly." Sasuke had his eyes fixed on Itachi. Beneath his skin, his blood rushed through his veins, boiling and bubbling. It would only be a matter of time before he would explode into a frenzy. His rigid fingers clutched the fabric of his lower garments. His teeth gnashed together in his desperate attempt to calm himself. But, something in him snapped.

He stood, fists clenched and eyes crimson with bloodthirsty sharingan, "I gave up so much so I could be strong enough to kill you! And now…" He gave a sinister chuckle, "Now that I have you right where I want you, have you so close to me—so close I could thrust this piece of bullshit metal into you…" He darted quickly, and, in a blur, he had Itachi pinned on the wall. Itachi had slumped down to be half sitting, half lying on the floor, from the impact of the force. Sasuke had charged and pushed Itachi down. He kneeled in front of the fallen Itachi with his hand gripping Itachi's neck.

Itachi could have avoided the attack. He could have darted away, but something inside of him told him not to. Conscience? Curiosity? Sakura?

"Sasuke kun! Stop it!" Sakura dropped everything she held and raced towards the two Uchiha brothers, but was stopped when Itachi lifted his hand to signal her stop.

Itachi wanted Sasuke to go on. He could feel his brother's desperate attempts to free himself from the darkness. In his eyes, Itachi saw a conflict of severe emotions battling to win over his heart. Guilt constricted Itachi's heart. He did this. He had done this to Sasuke. He had pushed Sasuke deep into darkness—perhaps even insanity. Itachi stared straight into Sasuke's malevolent eyes. I'm sorry, Sasuke. Was he ready to die? This was how he planned it, didn't he? He was supposed to die by his hands and keep Sasuke away from darker evil. He was supposed to push Sasuke until Orochimaru would come out and was vanquished.

He had left everything behind. He had calculated everything to the last decimal so it could go his way even after his death. But, he had forgotten. Intelligent and prodigy Itachi had forgotten one factor in his calculations: Sakura. And, as he glanced at Sakura, who had trembling lips and watery eyes, for a split second, he didn't want to die…not yet. If Sakura were not there, he would accept the katana with open arms and feel its coldness pierce through him. But, not now—not in this scenario—he was ready to die so long as Sakura wasn't there to see Itachi's pathetic state of a man. Sasuke, dear brother, don't kill me like this. Anywhere, anytime, just as long as beloved Sakura is not there…I beg of you.

"Now that I'm strong enough to kill you, I…I…" He unsheathed his Katana and raised his arm.

"Sasuke kun, don't!" Sakura felt her feet unconsciously move themselves. She ran and wrapped her arms around Sasuke's arm, "Sasuke kun! Don't! Please!" If pushed, Sakura was ready to pour chakra into her hands to enable her superhuman strength. Damn it! It was so early in the morning! She thought she had already settled this. Why did it have to be so difficult?

"I can't kill you," Sasuke let his katana go. A dull metallic noise echoed throughout the kitchen and mingled with the noises of the bubbling oil and steaming stove.

Sakura and Itachi, dumbfounded, grew cold. "…What?" Sakura raised a brow at Sasuke. "Sasuke kun…you…"

Sasuke tore his arm away from Sakura, yet he never tore his gaze away from Itachi's widened orbs. This was the first time he had seen his brother so surprised. "I can't…I want to…but I can't. Don't get me wrong, every fiber in my body wants to see your blood running down your entire disfigured body."

"Then…why?" Itachi whispered beneath his breath, his voice hiding the shock and dismay—a bad attempt at regaining composture. Why do you hesitate to kill me, Sasuke? I did this to you. So, why?

Sasuke's lips tugged into a smirk which grew into a maniacal laugh, "…Why? Why, you ask?" Sasuke placed his other hand on his face to hide his eyes from Itachi, "Because…" He dropped his hands towards the floor.

Sakura honestly didn't know what to do. How did things get to this? One moment, she was peacefully leaning against Itachi; the next, she was kneeling beside a maniacal Sasuke and dumbfounded Itachi. She looked left and right unsure of what would happen.

"Because…Sakura would hate me if I killed you." Red eyes faded to black, "And that's the last thing I want." He let his head hang as he looked away from the two. "I still hate you. I can never forgive you for betraying me and everyone…Now, I even hate you more for stealing…her…I hate you."

"…Sasuke kun…" How much had she hurt him? Sakura withered away. A side of her wanted to wack him upside the head and tell him it was all in the past, but how could she? Betrayal was one of the hardest things to forgive. She knew. When Sasuke had left them for power, the thought of it, it hurt her and Naruto. They had been betrayed, but they had found ways to forgive him, didn't they? Why couldn't he…? Ah that's right…it was because of the bloodshed that came along with Itachi's betrayal. Stupid Sakura. How could you forget that Itachi is…was...a part of Akatsuki, a group of murderers? Ignorance, perhaps? Indifference?

Blindness…

Itachi let his words sink in. He struggled, lifting his body in a sudden desperate attempt to reach his brother, "Sasuke, I—"

"SAKU CHAN! I'm back!" A heavy thud echoed through the living room. Akane, clad in her outerwear, entered the kitchen, "Oh! You were here!" She blinked trying to make something of the scene before her: Two Uchiha brothers on top of one another and her darling niece caught between the two. "…What are you doing?" her dull metallic eyes seemed to glimmer with a deadly glint.

Without change in his handsome facial features, Sasuke stood and sat down on the seat he originally sat on, "…nothing." He muttered out.

Sakura, who had watched Sasuke leave, extended her hand to help Itachi up, "Ah Itachi, are you okay?"

"…yeah…" Itachi whispered as he stood up. It was a shock. He let Sasuke's words sink in his head. That was it. All his plans had been thwarted and it was all thanks to Sakura. And, to make things worse, he had almost blurted out the entire secret of the Uchiha clan. He was about to reveal the entire truth about him, the clan, and Konoha. He put into mind that he ought to thank Akane for barging in at the right moment. Her timing was perfect.

Sasuke's words echoed in his head. Sakura really held a power. He thought that it was only him that was vulnerable to her powers, but he wasn't. Sasuke, his own brother, was also under her spell. Her existence was so big, it made them do things they never imagined doing. Sasuke had thrown away his entire hunt for revenge and Itachi had fought to live. She had ruined their plans. But, for some reason, he felt…happy. Almost as if, he was glad—maybe even relieved—that Itachi was going to stay alive for a little longer.

Was this a second chance or was this a curse in disguise?

Akane glanced from Sasuke to Itachi then Sakura. More importantly, she ogled Itachi and Sakura. What was with the sudden intimacy? She wasn't stupid. She knew when something different was in the air. She averted her gaze towards the younger Uchiha. And what about him? What happened to the vibes Sakura had for Sasuke?

"Nothing, huh?" Akane raised an inquisitive brow at the trio, "Hmph, well whatever" She shrugged her shoulders and sniffed the air causing her to scrunch her face up. "Saku chan, whatever you're cooking, it's burned now,"

"Huh?" Sakura stared dumbly at her aunt before realizing what she meant. In a sudden rush, she raced towards the stove and switched it off. With a disappointed sigh, she watched as black ashes and cinders circled the pan. Her pancakes had been burnt to crisps.

"What's burning, yeah?" Deidara entered the doorway with Sasori behind him. Blond hair, untied, draped his shoulders. Clad in his black mesh shirt and pants, he sat right next to Itachi giving him a friendly smile before assuming his place.

Sasori, wondering what Deidara was up to, sat across him—right next to Itachi. To distract himself, he turned to Sakura, and, with a bored gaze, asked, "Sakura, are you alright? It seems that you burned the last pancake." He let his eyes travel from the pan to the already done pancakes on the counter tops.

Deidara, turning his attention to Sakura, noticed the despair and disappointment on her face. And kami, he found it so damn cute. Sakura looked like a defeated puppy: mouth pouted, eyes saddened, and a lowered head. Why, if she had ears, it would've drooped. Deidara couldn't help himself. He stood and wrapped his arms around Sakura, "Saku chan, hmph, don't be upset. If you'd like I'll eat your burned pancakes, hmph." He grinned warmly at Sakura who had turned towards him.

"Deidara nii chan!" She gasped, stiffening with his hold. "I appreciate you doing that but…please…um…you can let go now." She gave him a light nudge signaling him to let go.

Deidara, however, didn't want to. He only tightened his grip, "Why? Hmph. What if I don't want to, yeah?"

Itachi and Sasuke, who were both taken aback with the blonde, both stood and tightened their fists. Both, with callous faces and deadly killing auras, took a threatening step towards Deidara, "Let. Go." They both threatened the blonde with cold, yet threatening, glares.

Deidara, sensing a dark killing aura in the air, let Sakura go unconsciously and turned to see two Uchiha brothers both seething with anger. He suddenly took refuge behind Sakura, "What the hell, yeah?"

Sakura slapped her forehead and heaved a heavy sigh. She expected to have a nice morning. She'd cook breakfast, set the table, and serve her nii sans with a darling smile. She imagined getting comments like, 'wow Sakura! You're all grown up!' or 'You're ready to be a housewife!' or maybe even 'You really are a woman now!'. But what did she get? A dramatic brotherly fight and a clingy blonde! Thinking about it, she felt her blood curl beneath her skin. And as blondes and raven-haired Uchihas death glared each other, Sakura's temper only continued rising.

"SAKURA CHAAAAAN" Naruto barged in and pounced on Sakura, gripping her by the waist. This friendly affectionate action, given the already tense air, hit another nerve on the already seething Uchihas. They were ready to kill.

Sakura clutched the handle of the spatula. Enough. She wanted enough.

"What the—it's so fucking early in the morning!" Hidan entered the kitchen clad with only his pants. He was bare naked from the chest up, "Oi Sakura, is breakfast fucking ready yet? I'm fucking hungry!" And Hidan continued demanding breakfast.

'fuck fuck fuck fuck' The air got heavier and heavier and Sakura was at her limit.

"SAKURA SAN!" Lee came hightailing himself through the front entrance, "I have come to—Oh my gosh!" he spied Hidan, half naked, from the archway of the kitchen. "Such indecency!" Lee shielded his eyes.

"What the—" Hidan had noticed that the green suited man was referring to him, "Oi, fucking tights-shit, are you talking about me?"

"This is…" Lee managed to say despite his gapping mouth, "…and around Sakura san too!"

"Oi! I'm fucking talking to you!" Hidan marched over to Lee who armed himself by going into his taijutsu stance.

Sakura, shielding her tightly shut eyes with her bangs, gripped the spatula until the handle finally broke from her grasp. Her entire body shook as her anger slowly escaped through her body.

Naruto, who had his arms gripped around Sakura, noticed the trembling in Sakura. And, being the usual victim, Naruto knew what was coming. "…EH?" He suddenly backed away and hid beneath the dining table. "Sa-Sakura chan!"

Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and all glanced at Sakura, "…Sakura?"

"Are you alright?" Sasori asked, quite innocently.

"Hey ugly," Sai popped in. He had been passing by and noticed that the Haruno household seemed so alive at the moment. Thus, he decided to enter and greet the pink haired teammate. Poor Sai, he had come in at the wrong moment and said the wrong words.

That was the final straw. And, lowering her body to give herself momentum, she exploded.

**XxxxxxX**

Kisame, Pain, Kakuzu, and Konan all accidentally met up in the middle of the hall. After saying their morning greeting, though quite awkwardly because such friendliness was uncommon to them, decided to make their way to the kitchen. As the four were about to descend, they heard what appeared to be a loud scream, which was followed by several crashes and bangs. After taking one quick glance at one another, they raced down the stairs to discover the scene that was laid before them:

The dining table had been smashed into bits. The floor contained potholes and so did the ceiling and walls. Several pans, forks, chopsticks, and knives were embedded onto the walls. Small bits of the ceiling crumbled off and dropped onto the floors. Counter tops were smashed and held, what appeared to be, fist marks on them.

Sprawled on the farthest corner of the room, near the entrance, were Naruto, Lee, Deidara, and Hidan. Sasuke, Itachi, Sasori, Akane and Sai had managed to escape and were calmly standing in the living room—a good amount of meters away from the kitchen.

Alone, panting, Sakura stood. Behind her were the only things left unharmed: the pancakes and eggs. Recovering her breath, she stood upright and threw her fist at her side to signal the finish, "We shall eat PEACEFULLY, YES?" A vein throbbed in her head to signify her lingering vexation.

Naruto, Deidara, Hidan and Lee all nodded quickly hoping their obedience would quell the angry Sakura.

Kisame, Pain, Konan and Kakuzu looked at one another wondering how the scene before them came to be.

One brave soul, Akane, took a step forward and, with an awkward smile on her face said, "Saku chan, we'll clean up now, yes?"

Sakura turned towards her aunt and gave a curt nod, her anger slowly subsiding albeit still on the hot side.

Moments later, the dining room and kitchen were returned to normal…well almost. There was much to be repaired. Akatsuki and guest Konoha nin sat together in the table smiling…fake smiles. They wanted to appease Sakura, the goddess of warfare, who sat beside Itachi and Sasuke, munching away her breakfast.

Deep down, Sakura cursed herself. Now she could never get the praise she wanted. Well, there was always tomorrow. Hopefully they'd all learn to get along and this episode would never happen again.

"Ah, Sakura," Naruto chirped. He had recovered his fear being that he already experience the worst of it all—he could never forget his five hundred meter flight. "Tsunade baa san wants to see you. Says something about a critical case or something like that."

"Do you mean Oyama san? The poison?" Sakura asked, already calmed and cheerful—much to the marvel of the Akatsuki members who had never experienced such terrible outbursts from their innocent, calm, and good-natured Sakura.

Naruto shrugged as he chucked down his share of pancakes, "Mmf, nowt shure".

Sakura, finishing her meal, stood and made her way upstairs.

"Excuse me, Naruto," Nagato, accustomed to call the blonde by his real name, called out to him, "But is Sakura…erm…how do you say, 'special' here? She was sent by the Hokage as a representative and displayed destructive powers." He was curious. From the moment Sakura had appeared, he wondered how much Sakura had grown and if she was now 'of some use'—or so to speak.

Naruto, gulping down his drink, breathed out a refreshing 'aaah' before answering Nagato, "Yeah. She's the apprentice of Tsunade baa san,"

All the Akatsuki glanced at one another. Their Sakura, apprentice to one of the sannin?

"But that destructive power you're saying," Naruto grinned sheepishly, "that's just a taste of it. Sakura didn't even put her chakra into that." He sighed as numerous flashbacks came into his head. "That's just her pissed…At the deadliest, she could—" Naruto squirmed feeling a chill down his spine.

"Ooooh yeaaah, wasn't Sakura the chick that smashed the ground in two? I mean, back then." Hidan was referring to when Sakura had reunited with the Akatsuki. As a frontal attack, she had smashed the ground, which was meant to distract the Akatsuki. Unfortunately, things didn't go as they planned and she ended up freezing up. But still, were they to continue that fight, how far would they have gone?

At that moment, Sakura walked down the stairs clad in her proper kunoichi attire. Gloved and ready, she walked over to her aunt, "oba san, I'm heading off to the hospital." She beamed a smile at her aunt before giving an icy glare at everyone else in the table, "I expect everyone to behave," She grinned though a sinister aura glowered behind her that sent shivers down their spine.

"Hospital, yeah?" Deidara asked from his corner of the table.

"Sakura san is a medical shinobi," it was Lee's turn to answer, "She's far suited as a medical nin. She's one of the best—no—THE BEST medical shinobi there is!"

None of them looked surprised. The Akatsuki already knew that Sakura was a good medical nin, but they hadn't exactly realized how good she was. They were so caught up with living in the Haruno household, they hadn't had the time to properly discuss the life of their host. She left in the morning and would sometimes come back late into the night. They never thought it was because she was the favorite of the Hokage. True, Sakura was often called by the Hokage, but they figured everyone was.

"She learned from baa chan," Naruto added stealing bite from Sasuke who glared at the blonde, "Hey I know! Why don't you guys drop by? Me, bushy brows and these two temes here," He referred to Sai and Sasuke, "will escort you."

"Hm," Sasori said, "You said something about poison?" Sasori, being a poison maker, was interested in such things. "I'll go,"

"Well, if Sasori danna's going then I'm going." Deidara called out from Sasori's side.

"Aah well, it's boring here so let's fucking go!" Hidan craned his neck backwards to appear bored and was going on a whim.

"Well, if this bastard's going, then I'm going." Kakuzu eyed Hidan, "Someone's gotta watch over him."

"Konan and I shall go as well. We're interested to see Sakura in action," much like parents, they wanted to see their 'child' perform.

"Itachi and I are going as well," Kisame said for the both of them. Itachi was already planning to go without saying anything, but Kisame had to place his thoughts into words.

"Well, let's go then!" Naruto cheered as he stood up and walked towards the door. But, before exiting, he turned to Akane, "ne, 'kane baa san, are you coming?"

Akane, from her seat, shook her head, "No, you go on Naruto kun. Just tell Sakura to take care." She beamed a smile at Naruto who grinned back happily.

By pairs, they exited the Haruno household and made their way to the hospital.

**XxxxxxxX**

"Oyama san, hang in there!" Sakura had her green glowing hands above a middle-aged girl who was writhing in pain from the poison that started acting up a few minutes ago. Sakura had just entered the hospital when an aid, clad in a nursing attire, came running to her. The aid told Sakura that Oyama san had been fine minutes ago, but suddenly started acting up again.

Oyama san lurched upwards grasping and trying to clutch at her heart. Sakura, in a desperate attempt to calm her, ordered the aids to hold Oyama down.

"Sakura chan!" Naruto found the emergency room where Sakura was and settled to watching Sakura work. She seemed to be busy and the girl in the medical bed seemed to be in so much pain. Silently praying, he hoped Sakura could save the girl's life. As if he himself were Sakura, sweat trickled down the sides of his face as he gulped.

The Akatsuki, the rest of the Konoha nin, namely Lee and Sai, and Sasuke, followed Naruto and ended up watching Sakura work. This was the first time any of them, save Sai, Lee and Naruto, saw Sakura work. Even for Sasuke, this was a first. He had never gone to the Konoha hospital except for the first few days of his return to Konoha where he was subjected to several tests for bugs.

Sasuke stared intently at Sakura. True, in terms of combat, Sakura was still far away from himself, but in terms of…this, medical ninjutsu, she was absolutely amazing! He didn't need to activate his Sharingan to see that Sakura's chakra control was perfect. Even as children, Sasuke knew Sakura had good chakra control, but to get to this level? She had worked hard. Thus, Sasuke, who had lived his life to perfect his abilities in order to kill a certain man that stood a few meters from him, admired Sakura, who had worked to perfect her abilities to save a life.

They were such opposites. He lived to kill. She lived to save. He didn't deserve her. But, then again, neither did he—he who killed hundreds more, probably.

However, while pairs of eyes stared and admired Sakura's earnest work, on the other side of the glass, things were taking a turn for the worst.

"Oyama san!" Sakura kept one hand on the woman's face whilst the others kept pouring green chakra into her chest. Suddenly, Sakura's eyes widened making her audience jerk with curiosity and shock, what had happened?

"Found it!" Sakura yelled and pulled at something invisible in the air. Out from the woman's chest, a yellowish bubble that contained purplish liquid flowed out. Sakura winced from the sudden onslaught of poison pouring into the bubble. She had poured almost her entire source of chakra and still needed more. She needed to push it.

With a swift jerk of her hand, she yanked the bubble out and let it liquefy inside an empty bowl. She repeated the same process and, after what seemed to be hours but was only minutes, she stumbled down to her knees. She heaved a relieved sigh, placing a fist on her beating heart as she did so. It was over. She had done it.

Finally allowing her surroundings to return to her, she noticed a huge crowd outside the viewing glass. She turned her gaze there only to jump up upon realizing that it was the Akatsuki, out in the open, watching her. "What're you guys doing here?" The more of the outgoing Akatsuki either smirked or waved at the exhausted medical nin.

Sakura stood and thanked her aids for their assistance with a bow. "Seriously, you guys didn't have to come. Besides, there're a lot of patients," She said once she had exited the emergency room and stood before the Akatsuki and Konoha nin. She had a hand hooked on her left hip, and another hung on her side.

A chuckle erupted from Naruto's widened grin, "We wanted to show them," He pointed at the Akatsuki, "How good you were."

Sakura, blushing from the compliment, pouted, "Mou!"

"Sakura," a voice boomed out from behind Sakura who had turned to face whoever had called her.

Shizune stood with her pig in her hands, "Tsunade sama is calling for you," She beamed at Sakura who had nodded in reply to her.

"Why? Is anything wrong?" Sakura raised a brow. Seriously, what was with today? Orders here and there popped out of nowhere. Indeed, this was a very busy day.

"It concerns your training. Were you able to write down the new medicinal herbs?"

Sakura jerked, "Oh! That! Yes but it's at home!" She had completely forgotten. A week ago, Lady Tsunade had upped the scales for Sakura's training and decided to teach her medicine-making out in the forest. This was to be used in the scenario of being out in a mission and falling terribly ill, injured, or perhaps a lack of chakra. Sakura was supposed to have memorized and analyzed every single one of them by that day. But, because of so many events turning up here and there, she had let it slip from her mind. With a curt nod at Shizune, she darted out the hospital and back to the Haruno household.

"My, our Sakura is quite busy," Nagato noted from his silent corner. "Naruto," He shifted his attention towards the kyuubi container, "Since Sakura is so busy, would you be kind enough as to direct us to a good restaurant? I'm sure Sakura has enough on her plate. She need not to worry about feeding us."

Naruto, understanding where Nagato was coming from, nodded and grinned, "I know just the place!" And with that, he escorted the Akatsuki out and led them to his favorite store: Ichiraku's.

**XxxxxxX**X

Sakura swung open the door with a loud thud, the force garnered from her panic. Where had she placed her scroll? She had spent an entire day of writing and understanding how each herb worked. If she had lost it, then it'd mean big trouble for Sakura. And, for her, that meant harsh taijutsu training. (She shuddered at the thought of another round of intense physical and mental tasks from Tsunade sama.) Or, at the worst, she'd get personal taijutsu training from Tsunade sama's limbs.

Her heart pounded, where was it? She whimpered as she tried her best to think positively. She couldn't have lost it! She let out an aggravated groan, and made a mental note of organizing her things later. However, upon ravaging through her belongings, she laid aside her books to find a rolled up and battered scroll pressed inside a book labeled 'Rare Herbs'. It was just what she was looking for. The stress, anxiety, and worry that had built up inside of her were released in a single relieved sigh.

She then stood, darted off, and descended down the stairs. "Saku chan, did you find it?" She stopped, turning her head to see her aunt sitting laxly on the love seat. The empty Wine glass on the table and half finished bottle suggested her aunt had been drinking her favorite red wine again.

"Aa, I did aunty, thank you," She grinned and was about to leave when Akane stopped her with a soft call of her name, "Would you mind if I talked to you for a second?" She asked, legs and arms crossed with a straight face.

Sakura craned her neck to glance at her aunt. She could tell from the look in her aunt's eyes that her oba san was serious. "Ah, sure," She managed to casually say. Gripping the scroll tight so she wouldn't lose it—again—she took her seat on the recliner across her aunt. "What is it, oba san?"

"It's about…" Akane leaned in, resting her elbows on the curve of her knees and lacing her fingers as she did so, "Itachi," She said his name casually—no honorific, tone, or sense of cordiality. It was the same way one would say 'door', 'table', or any other piece of insignificant furnishing.

"What about Itachi?" Sakura raised a questioning brow at her aunt. She straightened herself, allowing herself to look bold, despite her wrenching heart. Her veins seemed to constrict against one another, stopping the blood from circulating properly. Her aunt had said his name so blithely; it scared her. Months ago, she had seen her aunt and Itachi go off somewhere and yell incoherent things. After that, she mulled over what their relationship was for a while. She was even imaginative enough to conceive them to be former or present star-crossed lovers. But, because of the recent happenings with Itachi and Sasuke, the relationship between Itachi and her aunt had slipped her mind.

Akane shifted, straightening her back and placing her hands on her knees. She narrowed her eyes—eyes that held a seriousness Sakura had never seen. They were haunting, Sakura admitted, and it sent her skin crawling. Her luscious red lips parted, "Stay away from Itachi,"

Sakura's already fast-pulsing heart constricted to a stop: What? "What…do you mean, Akane 'ba san?" She said with a small chuckle as if trying to dismiss the heavy atmosphere that had slowly shrouded around them without Sakura's notice. "If you're worried, don't be. Itachi nii san would never hurt me." Sakura felt her heart weigh heavier and heavier within her chest. Was she worried because Itachi was an S-class criminal? Was it because he was a traitor to Konoha? Or was there something she wasn't saying anything? Was there some other reason as to why her aunt was telling her to stay away?

"No," Akane kept her gaze firm and unmoving, "Itachi nii san would never hurt you, but Itachi will."

"Oba san, I don't understa—"

"You don't have to understand!" Akane burst out suddenly, "Just stay away from him!" Eyes narrowed dangerously, Akane looked at her niece with menacing eyes. Never had Sakura seen such a deadly look from her aunt.

Sakura, a little shaken, stood up. As if her aunt's wrath had passed onto her, she began retaliating, "Why oba san? Why should I?" Sakura felt an undiscovered anger towards her aunt seep through her pores, "Why do you want me to stay away? Is it because he's Akatsuki?" Sakura gritted her teeth. What were they keeping from her? Fuck it! Why did they insist on keeping things from her? "Or is there something else?" Sakura's brows furrowed and her lip trembled as she held back tears of fury.

"It doesn't matter," Akane said a little softer, "Just please, heed my warning, Saku chan" Her aunt had returned to a softer self. Piercing gray had melted into pleading silver. Akane dug her nails on her arms, "Saku chan…please…"

What the hell? Sakura was taken aback. Her aunt had threatened her out of the blue, yelled at her, and then suddenly…pleads? "NO!" Sakura's anger obviously hadn't subsided. It was so uncontrollable, her temper. Once it flared up, it was so hard to quell it unless she either burst out, like she had done this morning towards her friends, or had something significant to appease it. Thus, with no one to distract her from the source of her anger, she would burst instead, "No, I'm not staying away from Itachi!"

"Saku chan!" Akane, too, had risen, "please listen to what you are saying! Saku chan, please, don't go with that man!"

"Why should I? Give me a reason! It's because he's a traitor, isn't it?"

"No Saku chan,"

"Then what is it?"

"Saku! Don't make the same mistake agai—"

"NO!" Sakura sounded almost like a spoiled brat, "I LOVE ITACHI!" Having had enough, she turned and ran away, "I hate you Akane oba san!" She managed to yell before disappearing.

"SAKU CHAN!" Akane called out to her niece. Pressing her fists on her forehead, she sunk to her knees and let out a loud, angry, pained moan. "No, she…Saku…It's over."

**XxxxxxX**X

Sakura entered the hospital. She panted, flushed from running. Her head throbbed as her heart pumped the blood faster than it normally should. Her vision blurred as she saw distorted images of what appeared to be the hospital lobby. Men and women encircled Sakura, but the said person paid them no attention. Leaning forward from the dizzying feeling of her head, she struggled to maintain her balance. She, the medic nin, had managed to calm down as beady sweat trickled down the sides of her face.

"Oh! You're back!" Shizune popped up beside her with a cheerful Ton Ton in her arms. The other medic apprentice of Tsunade stood with a cheerful grin on her face. Obviously, she hadn't noticed the look of distraught in Sakura nor did she notice the trembling of her pupils.

Naruto and the others weren't far behind. Sakura had taken so long, they had managed to eat at Ichiraku's and return before Sakura did. They walked up to take their places a few steps behind Shizune save for Naruto who stepped forward, "Sakura chan! What took you so long?" Based from his response, Naruto, too, was clueless on Sakura's current state.

"You can give me the scroll and Ton ton and I will make sure it's delivered to Tsunade sama. You can stay here and continue your surveillance." Shizune said glancing back at the Akatsuki featuring Sasuke Uchiha.

Suddenly reminded of her original task, she handed the scroll, which had been crumpled a little when she had grasped it tightly. "here," Sakura, not once, looked Shizune or anyone straight in the eyes. She'd stave off eye contact by letting her gaze fall on anything but the eyes. She couldn't make eye contact. She was afraid that meeting another pair of eyes would strip her off of her defenses, and force her to break down into wails.

As she sat in her medical desk, provided especially for her by her mentor, shrouded in loneliness with only her breathing and soft chirps of the birds outside, Sakura gazed off into an empty space. Moments after she handed the scroll, she beamed a fake smile at her friends and asked Naruto to continue watching over the Akatsuki and Sasuke while Sakura finished off some work. The unwary Naruto happily obliged and took the Akatsuki and 'teme' for a tour of the hospital whilst Sakura walked off to 'finish work'.

She herself didn't understand the sudden burst of emotion, and she had beaten herself up for letting loose her temper. Had she held on for a few more minutes, she probably would've gotten a proper answer. Her aunt was so adamant on keeping Itachi away from Sakura, but why? Sakura blamed it on the fact that Itachi was a traitor. But, if anything, her aunt wasn't the kind of person who looked at labels or past records to scrutinize someone. Moreover, Akane had known that this 'Itachi nii san' had saved Sakura and was the reason she had remained alive. Shouldn't Akane have felt some sort of gratitude?

The pinkette pushed her forehead against the surface of her oaken desk, fists clenching the edge of the wooden object tightly. Pondering green eyes stared into the dull brown color, not minding that her vision had blurred from the lack of blinking. Perhaps it was because she had found out that she and Itachi had become closer. No, her aunt cared for Sakura's happiness—her aunt had said so years back—more than anything and would never do anything that wasn't for Sakura's sake. Still, everything was suspicious. Why the forceful separation? Why the hint of desperation in her voice? The only possible answer left would be that her aunt and Itachi had a relationship of sorts that Akane didn't want Sakura to know about or some dark secret.

Sakura sat up, a loud groan escaping her lips. She felt her back touch the chair with a soft thud. She threw her head back, turning her gaze towards the grayed ceiling. It had been white, but the lack of light turned it a miserable gray. No, it was too soon to deduce anything. Even if all the symptoms turned to one disease, one simple thing overlooked could make the disease entirely different. In some cases, this became fatal. As a medical nin, Sakura didn't want to make a rash conclusion immediately.

But no matter what the reason was for her aunt's unexplainable behavior, Sakura would have to apologize to her aunt for yelling like that. Sakura knew that, despite being opposed to the idea of being separated from Itachi, her aunt meant well. She stretched her arms, uncurling much like a cat. The time on her wall clock said it was time for her to get on home. And so did the person currently knocking at the door thought so.

"Hm?" Sakura gently pulled on the doorknob to find Sasuke standing outside with a grim look on his face. "…Sasuke?" She gave a nervous chuckle, "I'm sorry, is it because I took long?"

"No," He turned on his heel and walked down the hall, "…Dobe" He reassured her that it was not her fault that he was in an irritated mood.

"Eh? Why? What did he do?" Sakura asked remembering to shut the door behind her.

Sasuke cringed, gnashing his teeth together.

Sakura didn't understand-didn't even seek to understand. Instead, she bolted upwards and out the door with Sasuke close behind her. In seconds, quite loudly, she entered the waiting area to find Naruto and his tinier version, Konohamaru, trying to reason with frustrated, if not disgusted, set of women. Eyeing Naruto and his partner in crime suspiciously, she could only imagine what they had done. Well, she certainly didn't want to witness it again.

Akatsuki and her Konoha friends close by, she marched up and whacked Naruto on the head with a fist. "NARUTO!" She yelled, eyes seething angry and refusing to turn to the quailing Konohamaru, "What did I tell you about using your jutsu in public?" Obviously, she was referring to his sexy no jutsu.

Naruto, blond and sheepishly grinning, had his back against the wall and his hands up in defense. His head was hurting, that was for sure, but he knew that he was in a whole lot more of pain if he didn't find a way to calm the inflamed Sakura. However, thankfully for him, a sighing Itachi Uchiha stepped between he and Sakura. "Sakura," deep timbre softly said as a strong hand wrapped about her waist—subtly, stealthily, and skillfully.. "Calm down."

Taken by surprise, Sakura instantly calmed and inclined her head upwards to meet the charcoal eyes of her beloved. "…Sorry…" She muttered before pulling away from his embrace before anyone gathered their suspicions. With her mind set straight and her anger dwindled, she apologized to the vexed ladies for Naruto and Konohamaru's sakes. The ladies were fortunately sincere in accepting her apology.

Moments after that, Sakura got ready to leave the hospital. She had firmly told her 'guests' to stay put in their place near the reception area whilst she found inner peace within her office. The little episode with Naruto was a big nuisance, but she secretly thanked Naruto. He had, unintentionally, relieved Sakura of a little stress. However, the moment she stepped into her office, she was reminded of things again. Bleak eyes stared into random spaces as she let her thoughts wander about once again. Damn. Sasuke had rubbed off on her. She had been brooding and overthinking things she almost believed she was crazy. _Almost_.

"What're you thinking of?"

Startled, she whipped around, gasping at the sight of all too familiar set of grays. "Itachi," She whispered beneath hitched breathing. "er, nothing. Just a little stressed, is all." Instantaneously, within the darkness of her office and her heart, she found warmth in the smallest of the elder Uchiha's gestures. He had, as Sakura turned away from him, walked on over and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. His very touch sent shivers down her anxious spine. Damn it all. The question was tempting to break lose. She had to bar the door of her heart shut lest she lose herself in a fury of questions.

"is that so…?" A second hand had placed itself on her bare shoulder as he gently tugged at Sakura to lean closer. She could feel his eyes embed itself onto her small frame. Enough. She wanted his stare to go away. It was painful—the thought of lying to him, but she didn't want to lose him. If she accused him based on nothing but assumptions and blatant feelings, wouldn't it be too degrading? Wouldn't it chase him away? She loved Itachi, and she wasn't going to ruin these precious times with childish notions.

"Itachi…" She turned to him ever so slowly. Her gaze, so piercing it managed to startle the Uchiha who had least expected such a stare.

She wasn't going to ruin their Love Eden…or so she thought.

"What's between you and Akane oba-san?" the word's rolled off her tongue like sleek venom. It seeped into Itachi and seemed to hit a necessary nerve, for, after she had asked the question, he seemed to tense for a split second.

"That…" He paused, looking Sakura up and down as if he were looking for some exit, "I…" though he calmly attempted to answer her, he noticed that Sakura only seemed to become even more agitated. Finally, he took a subtle yet deep breath before he let the words come out, "I cannot tell you." He swallowed hard, taking in the dilated pupils of a horrified Sakura. He seemed to shrivel beneath those truth-seeking orbs. Beneath stoned features, he felt his insides churn with guilt. He felt a bubble rise as time stretched on endlessly as Sakura stood unmoving and he, fearing for what was to come, forced himself to still.

However, what came next was caught him by surprise. Sakura, a horrified look on her face, seemed to wither away. Her green eyes down cast, she turned around and sighed. Quietly and without further conflict, she turned away from Itachi and exited her office albeit decrepit and seemingly out of will. Her lamed form sent a shiver down his spine. What on earth had happened? What on earth had he done? "Sakura…" He whispered as he attempted to chase after her, but stopped when a group of chattering nurses ushered a crash cart down the hall—forcing him to halt. A cold wind seemed to pass through him as he was forced to watch his beloved's weak stature meet her friends and the rest of the Akatsuki—forcing a healthy smile along the way.

**XxxxxxX**X

How fast was she running? How hard was she breathing? She felt her chest sting, unable to keep up with her pants and despaired escape. Seconds after she stepped out of the Konoha hospital doors, regardless of the friends behind her, she bolted without a word. Her emotions swirled inside like a vortex, sucking her innards deeper and deeper into abyss. Her heart felt like it would burst from the pain—cardiac arrest via heartache? How pitiful. It hurt, but so did Itachi's words. In fact, his words and actions hurt more than her overworking heart.

"…I can't…" She stood heaving in the middle of the living room. The lights had been dimmed down suggesting that Akane had gone to her room. Good. Right now, the last thing she needed was Akane walking in and asking her what was wrong. Slowly, she sunk to her knees, her wrists clawing at the floorboards beneath. Unable to control them any longer, Sakura burst into pained cries. Why the deception? Why the secrets? Why the lies?

For the while, she had gone along with Itachi's reasons and ignorantly played the part she needed to play. But there were limits to her temperament—this was it. She lowered her head upon the floor and cried to her heart's content, and, when her chest no longer felt as tight, she rose from the ground.

This was it. She would extract the truth from her aunt no matter what. With slight hesitance, she climbed the flight of stairs that led to her aunt's room. The silence of the household sent shivers down her spine. When did her house seem so … cold? She swallowed a disturbing lump on her throat before she let out a sigh. She stood in front of her aunt's bedroom door, the "Mistress's Quarters" sign hung before the door. Strange, it seemed to lack the luster it usually had on a normal, bright day.

She reached out for the door and gave a gentle tap with her knuckle, "Oba san…" She called out, "I want to talk." She waited for an answer from the person behind the door, but there was none. Perhaps Akane did not want to see her? "Akane-ba san?" Perhaps she was out? Impossible. She would have never left the front door open if that were the case.

"Oba san! I need to talk to you!" Sakura's temper began to rise as her knocking loudened. "AKANE BA SAN!" When Akane did not answer, Sakura decided to force herself in. With a somewhat flaring temper, puffed and reddened eyes, she threw the door open. "oba san! I need to talk to—"

She stopped. Emerald green eyes widened until they could widen no longer. Her heart, earlier thumping like crazy, had stopped. The blood in her body seemed to leave her, it growing pale and numb by the second, "…No…It can't be…"

Why had she not listened to Akane in the first place?

**XxxxxxxX**

**-Sorry to end with a cliffhanger. It had to be done. XD Oh me, oh my! What on earth did Sakura find? Until Next time! :D As always, please read and review! I always appreciate constructive criticism! 3 **

**-"It's like I don't know how to live, I'm afraid to" –What I wouldn't give by Holly Brook**


	26. Chapter 21: Secrets

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do, however, own my OC's such as Akane, Saku, Arata, and the like. **

**-Dear readers, thank you very much for continuing to support my story even if I don't get the chance to update it every so often! It tears me up to know that my old fans still bother to review even if I've neglected them for a time. T_T I love you all! I'm just a little sorry that this chapter is lengthy yet SLOW. My purpose for this chapter is to inform, so not much action in this chappy. xD**

**-Oh yes, I noticed that my previous chapter's scene dividers disappeared. O-O! I deeply apologize to my new readers. I'll fix that…in time. = = ;; I'm sorry. Time is cruel to me. **

**XxxxxxxxxX**

**Chapter 21**

**~Secrets~**

"SAKURA CHAN!" Naruto yelled after Sakura who had dashed off without say. A heavy shoulder from a silent Nagato stopped Naruto from chasing after her. How had things progressed to this? Oh, blissful naivety and blinding ignorance—shunning the thoughtless child who knew nothing of the truth but knew everything of it. "What…happened…?" He turned his head to glance at the ringed orbs of Nagato, callous, frightening, but calming. "Come. Let us head to where Sakura is." Nagato briefly glanced at Itachi who had stayed his place a good feet from the group. He wouldn't ask; at least, not until things had settled down.

Huddled together, black cloaks mingled with orange and green, the group walked back towards the Haruno household. "Get your act together, Uchiha." Nagato strode powerful as ever albeit his paled and weakened appearance. The receiver of the roughened and threatening statement simply glanced away from Nagato. So he would play this game, would he? Nagato leaned towards the older Uchiha, ringed eyes making sure to catch his reddened ones. "I don't care what the matter is about. Clear it up." Smooth, unhindered, and baleful, Nagato's words slithered out from his lips like cold mist.

Itachi's response was to lean away and walk ahead of the group. 'Clear it up' he says. It wasn't that easy. At least, it wasn't as easy as it sounded. '_…Damn'_ he thought as he felt a foreboding tinge in the atmosphere. "Can't be…" Much like Sakura did, Itachi took off into an unseen blur.

"Wha? First Sakura chan and now Itachi too?" Naruto stomped a frustrated foot onto the ground. "What the hell is happening?" He didn't know what was happening! What on earth were people keeping from him? Why did everyone hide things from him? It was damn unfair. He furrowed his brows, digging his hands into his pockets. "…Sakura chan…"

Nagato's eyes trailed after the stiffened and slumped form of Itachi; he too had sensed the slight unhinging of the things around him—as if something had managed to trip one of the wires of a trap. Something was definitely up. "We should all head back home now." Konan glanced at him, taking in the unnoticeable shred of worry that lingered in her partner's face. "Yes…let's," She agreed, suddenly taking the lead to egg the others to follow.

XxxxxxxX

Itachi threw open the door, a callous expression still plastered on his face. He glanced around, noting that Sakura's presence was on the second floor. He dashed up the stairs to find the despairing Sakura kneeling against the wooden floor boards in utter shock. He could smell it—that all too familiar tang. Itachi walked slowly towards Sakura and wrapped one hand around her shoulder. His other hand, big and rough as it was, brushed over her pink bangs and covered her eyes. "Sakura," He whispered her name, pulling Sakura's head to rest on his chest. "It's going to be alright…It's going to be—"

"Why?" Itachi inclined his head so he could see Sakura's face. It was pale, cold and wet with the sudden burst of tears. "I don't—who could've…" She hiccupped, placing her hands against Itachi's hand, holding on to them as she bawled. "Akane oba san…she…she's…"

Itachi lowered his head, pulling Sakura closer towards him. He pressed his lips against the top of her head, embracing her with all his might. What could he do?

XxxxxxxxX

"Oi, don't you feel that something's off, hn?" Deidara held his hip, scrutinizing the normal-looking Haruno household.

A brief, sinister chuckle rang out, Hidan shielding his lips from the crowd, "I can smell it…"

"What are you talking about, Hidan san?" Bushy eyebrows furrowed, lacking in understanding, Lee glanced at the silver haired man who had burst out laughing. "I—"

"Enough. We should go in," Sasori was the first to enter. The Haruno household was dim. Light seemed to refuse to seep into the house as it usually did. The interior seemed like the color had been literally sapped from them.

The feeling was nostalgic. It had happened years before.

"Reminds you of that time, doesn't it hmph?" Deidara was second to enter. Cerulean eyes glanced at the interior for a split second before a long sigh emerged from his lips. "It follows us everywhere doesn't it?"

"What are you guys talking about?" A second pair of blue eyes had caught Deidara's attention. This one, Naruto, was about the same age as Deidara. He was as blonde as he was, and had about the same shade of blue eyes as he did. However, their experiences were legions apart. He could tell that this perceptive jinchuuriki felt the heavy atmosphere, but could make no sense of it.

_Silly little boy, you know so little of the truth of Death and Pain. _This was what Deidara silently told himself as he dismissed the boy's question with a smile and a turn of the head.

"Hey! I don't—"

"Kid, shut up for a sec." Kakuzu and the rest of the Akatsuki walked onward, leaving the Konoha nin, Sai, Sasuke, Lee, and Naruto, to figure things out for themselves. Among them, Sai and Sasuke were the only one who could recognize the all too familiar aura that surrounded them. Once familiar with it, one could never part with the feeling.

"Naruto," Sasuke called out from behind, "Don't be stupid…at a time like this." His gray eyes were fixed upon the staircase and not on Naruto. "Don't you have good ears…?"

"Eh?" Naruto would've asked the ol' teme to explain had he not focused his senses onto hearing that he heard the soft, familiar sniffles of their beloved teammate. "Sakura…?"

"Here too…huh?" Kisame had laid down Samehada onto the ground as he watched Naruto run up the stairs screaming Sakura's name. Blue skin seemed to tinge a light blue as Kisame paled. Had sinned so much? Was this the long awaited retribution?

"Kisame, turn it off." Sasori had approached the sharkman with attempts to console. How unlike him. How unlike any of them. When had they felt such anguish over _that thing?_ It was _her _fault. Those pink locks brought color into their lives when it shouldn't have. Those pink locks had poured a myriad of colors so unexpectedly it hurt to simply have _feelings _of being reunited since being apart years ago. He had despised such humanity, but why was it that he could not push them away? 'T_urn it off_' he told Kisame. Impossible. Neither of them could turn off their emotions, particularly grief, now. There was no turning back this time. These colors won't ever leave them so long as _those _pink locks stayed. No—perhaps even if those pink locks were to fade; this time, there was no switching off of anything.

"It's hard to." Kisame had his head lowered. Sasori gazed at this tall man's weakened form. As expected: none of them could turn it off anymore.

"Here they come, hn." Deidara's cerulean eyes watched Sakura's weakened form descend down the stairs with Itachi right behind her. The elder Uchiha had one arm on her shoulder whilst his other was lightly supporting her by the waist. Gray eyes were fixed on solely on the pink haired kunoichi. Behind them, Naruto weakly walked down the stairs, eyes staring into the space in front of him. Like a defeated puppy, he followed awkwardly behind the couple.

Sasuke, quick as ever, rushed towards Sakura and placed two very worried hands on Sakura's shoulder, "Sakura you—" Sasuke stopped. He gritted his teeth; the pain, the hurt, the despair, it was written all over her dismayed face. "It's alright…" He managed to whisper so only Sakura could hear.

"Sasuke kun…Akane oba san she's…" Sakura jolted forward, ramming her forehead onto Sasuke's chest without meaning to. "It's my fault! If I hadn't—if I had only" Sasuke smoothed pink locks down, gripping Sakura by the arm as he did so. He glanced at his older brother, seeking some sort of enlightenment from him, but alas he gave nothing. _Stupid Itachi nii san_. …nii san? He shook his head, ignoring the epiphany that had dawned at him and looked back down onto Sakura. He patted her hair with gentle hands, "Shh Sakura, come on. Let's get you to your room." Both Uchihas led on, holding Sakura tightly so as to support her because the way things were going, Sakura could barely move her body.

XxxxxxxX

Sheets had never seemed so warm. Fabric displaced themselves around her lithe body, wrapping her in the warmth she had seemed to have lost. Light flickered through the window, curtains gently fluttering through the window ajar. Sprawled diagonally across her bed, Sakura stared at the dust that randomly drifted back and forth through the rays of light. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she pulled herself up; someone had come into the room.

"Sakura, how long are you planning on being like this?" Itachi stood with his back against the door frame. He stared at her, watching her languid form turn towards him, as he approached her silently. "Sakura you—" he held out his hand, reaching for her pale cheek; with a feather-like touch, he brushed the side of her face to soothe her.

"Itachi…sorry. It's just—" Her hands returned his touch by gently wrapping her hands around his wrist. His hand against her pale cheeks made her cheeks seem like they were burning. He too was cold, "you're freezing, you know that?" her lips pulled into a small smile, "I should be the one worrying not…you…" Sakura's head dropped, suddenly recalling the events of the past three weeks.

They had found Akane's body in her room, lying on the carpet. Minor lacerations across her body suggested that she didn't put up a fight. It was a slice through her tender throat which, they assumed, came after the blow through her abdomen. 'Cruel' was the only word Sakura could describe it with. Even the Godaime Hokage, in a fury, sent Anbu out to do an investigative mission; it had failed considerably, however. At the scene of the crime, there was nothing to be found save for the cold carcass of Sakura Haruno's aunt. The assailant appeared to have come and gone without being noticed. In a world where people were as normal as the civilians—where people had no abilities—this would have seemed to be _impossible._ However, this was the shinobi world. It wasn't that nobody was capable of doing it, such as would be the thought in some parallel dimension; it was that in the world they lived in:

Anyone could have done it.

With her head hung low, the Hokage deeply apologized for her beloved apprentice's great loss and assured her that they would not stop. For as long as she wanted, Sakura was granted leave from the hospital. Nevertheless, the Hokage had said this hesitantly. Knowing Sakura, and judging by the state she was in, she wondered how long this "leave" would last. With a few condolences and several visits from Akane's circle of friends, days had passed with Sakura and the Akatsuki quietly resuming their lives. At least, this was what it seemed on the surface. Undoubtedly, rumors began flying. It was said that one of the Akatsuki had done the deed. There were even rumors of the criminal being one of Akane's ex-lovers coming to take revenge. However, the gossip soon become passé, and the crime became nothing more than one of Konoha's many records.

"It's been almost a month. You should go out more." Itachi, cold and calculating, had pressed the little cherry against his chest to keep her as warm as he could.

"Aa," Sakura freely leaned against Itachi, bringing his hands into hers. "Perhaps it's about time…I…" She let her sentence trail, searching for some sort of certainty in her own words. Could she really move on? The guilt was still there.

For the past few weeks, Sakura had bawled her eyes out inside her room behind the eyes of everyone else save for her friends and 'family', the Akatsuki. They knew that their beloved Pinkette cried when they appeared to be unaware. They felt powerless against the heavy atmosphere; however, amongst them, it was the two Uchiha brothers who felt completely irritated with themselves. Neither one of them could do anything for the cherry blossom. They could do nothing but silently listen to her muffled sobs, enduring the tightening of their chests.

"I'll be beside you," Itachi whispered, gently guiding the kunoichi as she wobbled to a stand. He had slid his arms around her waist to steady her gait as she slowly made her way towards the door. She reached out for the doorknob, but stopped inches away from it.

"Itachi I—" She was forced to a spin, her back rashly pushed against the doorframe. Her voice was muffled by a forceful kiss, her shoulders slumping down against the force. "Itachi…" She whispered when the exasperated Itachi finally withdrew with sullen breath. The elder Uchiha pressed his forehead against hers, shutting his eyes to take in Sakura's hitched breathing. He desperately embraced Sakura's feeble form, breaking down into the weakened, gentle man he once was. "Death is something I deal with everyday. I don't believe I'm the right person to—"

She hushed him, wrapping her arms around his head as if to cradle him. Itachi, too, must've been suffering these past few weeks. "Thank you," She whispered, planting a kiss atop his head. At the moment, Itachi was out of character. He had turned frail against Sakura. This boy who clung to her tightly, who was he? She couldn't help but utter a gentle giggle as she snuggled this little thing within her bosom, "…how cute." A genuine smile, seemingly long forgotten, crept onto her face causing Itachi to glance up and grunt. "You cruel girl; after I had just—catching me off guard every single time." He, too, gave a small smile and pressed his lips against hers. For a while, he let her respond to him, she nibbling on his bottom lip as he pushed her up against the door. What a way to soothe the soul. "Feeling better?" He pulled away, pulling her arms up against her head and locking her down.

He stared deeply into her emerald orbs. He sucked in her pain, drinking in the loneliness that swam within the irises of her eyes. "It's alright," He whispered, "You can let go."

She broke. Tears poured down her face as she struggled to keep her emotions intact. She shook her head, the smile earlier present turning into a scowl as she bit her lip, attempting to prevent the onset of tears. Damn it. Pathetic. Itachi whirled her around, shoving her onto the crumpled sheets of the bed. He spread her arms, forehead against forehead, hand in hand, breath mingled with breath. "Don't lie to yourself." His lids lowered, watching those beautiful eyes water beneath them as he brushed his lips against her flushed cheeks. He licked her tears away, pressing down against her knees with his weight. He wasn't letting her go.

The emotional rollercoaster they were both feeling was sucking them into places they didn't dare go into. Itachi was feeble, feeling powerless against her grief. The smile she had given earlier was a sign of progress, but it wasn't enough. Darling beloved, what could he do to make it all go away? The pain? The hurt? How could he, so accustomed to hardship and pain that it had become part of him, heal her? He was unworthy of giving her happiness.

Raven of death could not give the pure dove the happiness she sought.

"It was my fault," Her voice was raspy and deigned with scorn, "Mother, father, and now auntie. It's always been my fault…" She pressed her cold palms against her eyelids, her lips tugging into a desperate cry.

_It had begun when she took her first few steps into Akane's room a week after her death. Sakura had hesitantly unlocked the room, the gloomy feeling escaping through the cracks. She had to move somehow. She couldn't just lie there and waste away. With steady fingers, she made her way onto the bed to fix the bed sheets. Carefully, she placed all anguish and sorrow onto each spread of the fabric. A multitude of apologies rang in her mind as the blanket's corner met with the other. _

When Sakura had calmed down, he pulled her into a tight embrace. He smoothed her hair down, raking his fingers through her cherry hair. "It wasn't your fault," He whispered softly, fanning her earlobe with heated breath.

_She dusted the furniture, deftly running a damp cloth over long untouched wood. Akane's room, being the romantic that she was, enjoyed the Victorian-themed furnishings that adorned her now color-stripped room. Drawer by drawer, she unraveled her aunt's things. She found her aunt's favorite comb, photos of her favorite lovers, jewelry from countries far away, and other treasures of her aunt. With little interest for what the particular item was, Sakura grasped an antique box that she had pulled out among other belongings. She held it against her arms, begging before whoever or whatever _kami_ ruled above: Keep her aunt happy. That was all she could ask for. _

"Wasn't it?" Sakura buried her tear streaked face against Itachi's chest, "I regret having that argument with her before. If I had stayed and listened, perhaps I could've saved her." Her hands grasped the ends of his disheveled shirt, frustration causing her to bite her swollen lips.

"You loved her like a child loves her mother. I'm sure she knew that," His gray eyes could not help but stare into her saddened orbs. "If _they_ saw your unhappy state, how would _they_ feel?" This was going nowhere. He could repeat the same comforting words, but they weren't getting through her. What else was there to do? This was frustrating.

_Without noticing, she had managed to open the lid of the box slightly. A piece of paper, turned brown from the torturous scourge of time, had fluttered onto the carpet below. It had taken a while before the pinkette had noticed it. With a sense of urgency, she picked it up and attempted to place it back into the box. It was only when she saw the neatly written plating on the top left of the paper, after further realizing that it was an envelope and not just a piece of worn out paper, that she quickly stood and unraveled the contents. Her heart beat loudly within her chest. With nimble yet trembling fingers, she unsealed the envelope with the words, "Sakura Haruno" onto it._

"I just can't help but feel completely responsible. Reading that letter I…" Her cries had stopped and her mind was more at ease—appearances were deceiving. Within the contents of her mind, she repeated the words in her mind. Whether it brought light or dark into her life, she did not know. "I still can't believe that…"

Itachi did not speak. He knew very well what she meant. The past was a difficult thing. History is written within the passages of time and can never be erased. It can be rewritten by the callous hands of Man, but that wouldn't be history. It would be fallacy. The truth can never be erased; it can only be hidden. He, more than anyone, knew that.

"_Dear Sakura," green eyes scanned over the most elegant handwriting she had ever seen. Black ink curled into dainty characters that pulled her into them not for their gentle or perfect shapes—she paid no attention to the handwriting—but for the message contained within them. Beautiful as they were, they were thorns hiding within flower patches. _

"_I will never really know how to say this to you. You don't know how many times I've attempted and reattempted to write this letter countless times. I have, many times, gone over with how I was ever going to write this, but, in the end, all I can come up with is this:_

_I am sorry."_

_Sakura bent over the piece of parchment, the sentence constantly repeating in her mind. She did not understand what her aunt meant, and decided to read further._

"_You don't know how sorry I am—to you, your father…and especially your mother. I have gravely done something that I now regret doing. It's been a month since _that_ incident happened, and I am still at a loss. Dear Sakura, I just hope that you are well—wherever you are. After I realized what I had done, I rushed out to find you, but you were nowhere to be found. Oh Sakura, if you knew what I had done, I'm sure that you would NEVER forgive me. Even so, I hope that you are alright. Please come back safely. I pray that kami will not hurt you as a punishment for my sins."_

_In the same well mannered writing, the name 'Akane' was signed at the end of the letter. Dumbfounded, Sakura smoothed the edges of the paper, wondering what on earth her aunt meant. She sighed, wanting to know the meaning behind her aunt's words. Thus, she grabbed the old antique box and uncovered its contents. A multitude of letters poured out from it, each addressed to common individuals: Sakura, her mother Saku, her father Arata, and someone else whose name was so crudely written she could not decipher it. One by one, she exposed her aunt's words from them—the contents of Akane's and her family's past. _

Itachi let out an exasperated sigh as he pecked the top of Sakura's forehead. "Akane loved you. If you did not realize that, then perhaps you really did not know your aunt." Desperation clung to Itachi's voice. He wanted her to simply _get over_ it. The longer she stayed in the pit of despair, the longer it would take it pull her out.

"_Dear Sakura," one letter said, "The regret that I felt years ago still lingers. It has been two years as of today, and the memory is still vivid. Demons continuously haunt me; guilt still constricts me. I find myself wallowing in self-pity each and every day. Do you know, the neighbors call me some sort of slutty witch, and they are probably right. Night after night, I let myself be embraced by a multitude of men. Nevertheless, the hot, fiery nights of a man's touch can never replace the warmth that I have doused with my own hands. I am forever within my self-made ice cage. Where are you my dear cherry blossom? _

_Your brightness, I miss it. You were always a cheerful one, and despite your origins, I have loved you so—even without me realizing it. You got that from your mother: that cheery personality of yours. Your smile, however, is your father's. That cheeky grin of yours is slightly distorted with the right corner of your mouth tugging higher than your left when you do so. That was a quirky trait from your father, one I cannot forget. His smile, his laugh, that idiotic personality of his, that sleek silver hair of his—I can never forget. I hated your father. I truly hated him. _

_And yet I loved him with all my heart. _

_Your mother and I both did, and it tore apart our bond. We were one of the same kind, my sister and I. We had the same face, the same body, the same voice, the same pair of steel gray eyes, but we were on polar ends. Saku was like a breath of fresh air amongst a field of flowers. Her red hair and gentle smile made you think of thousands of roses stretched across vast lands. A sea of roses—She embodied our family's last name: Haruno. I, on the other hand, was a hot flame ready to explode. I was always the rebellious one, so your grandparents said, and I carried with me a fiery personality. We weren't ordinary girls either. From childhood, your mother and I were trained in the ways of the nin. Your mother was a brilliant genjutsu-user, and I specialized in taijutsu. Nevertheless, we were known to be as beautiful as roses and as deadly as its thorns. We were one and the same, but we were vastly different. However, our hearts leaned to one man and this was your father. _

_Your father had just settled in, a traveler who had stopped by to recuperate from his long journey. At the time, your mother and I were 16, blooming with the fullness of youth. Our family owned an inn back then, and it was booming with travelers from all places. Men from everywhere flocked down to have a good night's rest. You could say most of them flocked to get a taste of the famous Rose Sisters, your mother and I. It was all flattering, but our hearts could not be stirred. That is, until your father came on a winter night. Everyone at the inn had gone to bed and your mother and I were left to clean after everyone. Without warning, your father entered the inn with a gust of cold air. Snow mangled with his silver hair, he entered the inn—and our hearts—'by storm'. From there, the wheel of fate began to turn and things would never be the same again. _

_It was uncommon for a traveler to stay more than a few weeks within our hospitality. He stayed, eventually taking up a job as a helper at the inn. Of course, it pleased us both. Your mother and I stayed up nights talking about the charm your father possessed. He had shoulder-length hair that gleamed like the precious silver; each lock seemed to contain a unique sparkle in each of them. He was an enigmatic one. He never talked about himself nor did he speak of his reasons for staying. He, however, was cheerful. He would smile and make us laugh. He would come to our rescue when some rude, uncouth barbarian would sneak a touch at our well-formed rumps (pigs that they were). He was our prince, and we hoped things would stay as they did. _

_Unfortunately, we were unaware of the storm that would follow. _

_I remember that day like it was yesterday. I had been moping around the rooftop, scraping idly at the shingles of our cozy inn. Like a cat, I always opted to stay on higher grounds, and, whenever I fell or dropped down, I'd always land on my feet. That day, the sun was shining as brightly as ever, and the summer breeze beckoned for an end to spring. Summer was _my_ season. Thus, I knew, that I would take advantage of such good fortune and confess to Arata. My sister and I often talked about confessing, but we were afraid. What if our triad friendship falls apart because of measly feelings? What if our tight sisterhood breaks from the pressure? The constant worries that filled our minds began to haunt us until Saku and I finally came to a decision: "All's fair in Love and War. May the best sister win. A promise to have no bitter feelings to whomever Arata would choose." That was our game plan, and we would both find our own time to let him know. However, who knew that with the changing of the seasons came the abrupt changing of the winds as well? We were sisters indeed—our minds were like one. _

_I was about to jump off the roof as I usually did, careful of my footing as to not slip on the aged roof. I held on to our inn's quaint chimney, ignoring the smoke from the fire below. From the corner of my eye, I spied Arata and Saku in what you could guess was a confirmation of each other's feelings. Arata's lips were on hers as his arms were wound around her waist. A gentle yet powerful kiss—it was obviously my cue to slip away and bury my feelings. _

_Yet why couldn't I? _

_That night, I remember entering our chambers and wishing my sister a dear congratulations. With guilt constricting my heart, for the happiness I felt for them were lies, I held her in my arms and told her to continue being happy. Poison lingered within the crevices of my heart—slowing and subtly churning into it the feelings that I never thought I could ever possess. _

_The days would pass and Arata and Saku's love were very much welcomed by my parents. Of course, her suitors would oppose, but they quietly went without a fight. Their warm goddess that was as gentle as the spring had found her match. And thus, they set their eyes on myself—the fierce goddess of summer. Arata and Saku would, as Saku excitedly and embarrassedly put it, make love. She told me of her first time beneath the moonlight, and I would sit back and listen to her ramble on. At the time, I figured turning my emotions off would ease the pain of hearing the one I loved holding another. While Saku and Arata continued with their pure love, making love _because_ of love, I didn't have a better case. _

_Out of desperation to feel warmth, I had my first time taken by the town's most renowned bachelor. Rich, good looks, and intelligence beyond compare, he was the ideal man, and, like the others, was infatuated with myself. I couldn't take it anymore. I took advantage of that man's innocent feelings and used it to my will—I used him. I used _all_ of them. My various escapades with the men in the village only grew infamously. Younger men, older men, men with wives, men who were virgins, I never failed to entice any of them save for one I truly wanted." _

Sakura let a deep sigh escape her lips, turning her back on Itachi. She couldn't face him. It was probably best if she just _got over_ it, but things were easier said than done. Perhaps it was her monthly hormonal changes that were getting to her and would clear up eventually, but it was nonetheless taking her some time to move on. It was hard to rid her chest of feelings of guilt. Perhaps this was how Akane-oba san felt: the pain of knowing you had caused grief upon multitudes of people. "I try, but how can I? Itachi…" She turned over to face him again, letting his sharp gaze pierce her very soul, "Do you really believe that I have the right to be happy? Knowing the damage that I've done I…"

Itachi tore his gaze away. This pillow talk was getting to him. Did she have the right to be happy? Truth be told, she had _every_ right to be happy. In comparison to him, she had far more rights to be happy. Yet he was probably, at the moment, the happiest man in the world. Beloved at his side, did he deserve such happy thoughts? Even with the weight of his clan's deaths within the chambers of his heart?

"_Things went as it did. I was the biggest slut in town, and my sister was having her happiest moments with Arata. However, it didn't end there. News broke that their wedding would soon take place. Our parents had reserved the chapel, spoke with the townspeople, and readied the inn. Everyone in town rejoiced. They sent gifts and gave their blessings to the happy couple. However, while everyone spent their time rejoicing, I spent my time packing. In the midst of their celebrations, I decided it was finally time to move on. I gathered my things and left our hometown and set my sights on a far away town. Travelling, my notorious rendezvous with men continued until I finally decided to settle in the quaint village known as Konoha. It was quiet, happy, and it made me start anew like the freshness of summer mornings._

_A place of beginnings—a chance of happiness._

_Yet the chance at happiness was as vague as it could be. Who knew that the refreshing breeze could bring with it the tides of war? Our village had been oblivious to the happenings outside it. A Great War had been ensuing outside, yet all of us were merrymaking within the village—how quaint. By the time I entered Konoha, the Great War was at an end. Being adept at taijutsu, I decided to extend a hand towards the village. I stayed in the sidelines, nursing the injured and caring for the civilians. I had no ambitions for the war—or post war—and I was certainly not extending more than the usual splinting and bandaging. Call me selfish, but that was how I lived life at the time._

_When calm returned, things slowly went back to how they used to be. Villagers repaired their homes, as did I, and there was peace once again—for most. With the war, numerous towns outside Konoha had been destroyed. One of these towns was my hometown. It was on a random morning when Saku and Arata suddenly reappeared into my life. With suitcases and a heavy heart, Saku and Arata begged that I let them stay. The hometown had been destroyed, the people and our parents with it, were forced to migrate to other villages. Konoha was the closest, safest, town to go to. Apparently, the others too had been destroyed. I stood there, a wine glass in one hand and the other on the doorknob, thinking what on earth was I going to do? And what happened to my efforts of going as far away as possible? Bullshit. In the end, I couldn't do anything. They began living with me. At first, I opted to shut myself away from your parents, drinking and wasting myself away and planning some sort of way to escape. I had even thought of moving to the Mist Village or Cloud village, but those plans were turned to nothing when an adorable child decided to waddle her way into my room…_and my heart.

_I later found out that nee-chan was pregnant with Arata's child. You were born on a wonderful spring day. Eyes green as the shimmering deep emeralds of the sea, much like Arata's, and hair that was a symbol of their love: silver and red mingled to a cherry blossom pink. Thus, you were named for your hair and the brightness of spring: Haruno Sakura. Much like your mother, you embodied the spirit of our last name. _

_Sakura, you brought back the light into my darkened heart. You resembled the freshness of my sister, and the brightness of the person I loved. Pink hair, green eyes, and a cheerful smile, you slowly warmed my heart from the day you crawled into my room (tiny as you were). I was ready to scold you for entering my room without permission when I saw those beady, green eyes of yours water with tears. Something took hold of me as I instantly dove down and picked you up in my arms to stop you from crying. From there, I made a subconscious vow to watch over you—the child of the two people I love most in this world. I suppose life has its ironies. Fate seemed to mock me as it gave me a true chance at my own happiness."_

_Again, Akane's name had been signed at the end of this letter. Sakura, deeply satisfied with her apology, opted to open another letter. One she wished she hadn't opened after all. This letter, seemed to be the most recent of all the letters. The paper hadn't aged, and envelope wasn't old either._

"_Dear Sakura, this is yet again another attempt at an apology. I once wrote that I was given a shot at happiness. And, I often, now, find myself to be such a worthless person—if I can even be called _human._ Perhaps I was simply the vilest person in the world to be able to turn down a chance of happiness all for the sake of love and jealousy. With you knowing everything, I wouldn't be surprised if the very memory of me made you quiver with disgust. However, with everything's that happened, I can only say that I'm glad that you've returned. Now, my fears of you hating me are outweighed by feelings of panic. I don't care anymore. I don't care if you hate me; however, it is crucial that you must know the dangers that you are involving yourself with. Please, I beg you, stay away from Itachi. I shall tell you why:_

_It was on a moonless night. I had finished some '_business'_ with a '_friend'_ of mine when an ominous wind blew. I turned left and right, feeling something was amiss when I spied a tall figure within the shadows. I remember being frozen solid, fear gripping my chest. I couldn't really remember much about him except for his eyes, those repulsive, bloody eyes that held with them the very essence of evil. I'll tell you now, the very reason I was so against Itachi and You is mainly because of those cursed eyes, for the man of shadows that stood before me possessed a pair just like them. _

_He exited the shadows, a mask covering the entire of his face save for his orbits—those ghastly orbits that I've come to hate and regret seeing. I remember that night vividly. His words, his voice, they were all enchanting. They seemed to possess some kind of power because I had been frozen dead on the spot. I supposed it was some sort of genjutsu, but no amount of cancels could break the technique. I was literally spell bound. He approached me and extended a hand to touch the fringe covering my right eye, "Akane, it matches your name…" I could still remember the feel of his cold fingers trailing down the side of my face, "I've heard about you, and I believe that you'll prove of use to me. A shinobi with no ties to Konoha yet is part of it would make an excellent addition. Why don't you come and join me?"_

"_Never," Is what I managed to whisper even when his eyes had lowered dangerously at me. "Is that so?" He turned away from me, I still hopelessly frozen, "Such a martyr. You'd rather stay here cooped up with all this pain?" _

_I let out a gasp, and a rash "WHO ARE YOU?" before he appeared before me again, this time closer than ever, "How about this? I'll help you get your revenge on your sister and her husband. In exchange, all you have to do is be a spy for me on the outside. Come along with me." I remember wondering what the hell was wrong with his head, but that thought quickly disappeared when he mentioned my sister and Arata._

"_What on earth would possess me to seek revenge? They weren't in the wrong—"_

"_Oh? Are you sure? When you _clearly_ loved Arata more than anyone in this world? When it was _clearly _you who was first to love him? Neither of them were in the wrong? Even when you extended your hand to welcome him into your inn and convinced your parents to let him stay, he only saw you as his friend? Do you still think they were neither in the wrong? Don't lie to yourself. I can see the hatred and desire for vengeance in your eyes. They are all very appealing. Never have I seen a woman possess so much fury in her irises like you." He held my chin up, examining the features of my face closely until he let go. With that, he walked away as if nothing had happened. That man, who was he?_

_I thought that was the end of it, but it was not. The second time that man appeared, he told me his offer of being a spy. Of course, I vehemently refused. However, with a lewd leer, he planted a kiss and everything went blank. When I woke up, I was on my bed and rumors of disappearances had been spread over town. The third time he appeared again, he planted another kiss and used a jutsu on me. I lost control over my body; however, this time, I remembered what had happened that night. I had infiltrated the Konoha palace and seduced an official—his name slipped my mind—and caused him to spill the secrets of Konoha, one that I, afterwards, retold to that man. And these visits would increase in frequency until, one day, he just stopped. _

_What followed after that proved to be a shocker. A tailed beast, the _kyuubi_, had broken out and was out to destroy Konoha. However, this matter was resolved when the fourth Hokage, Minato, somehow sealed the beast. It was later said that the reasons for the tailed beast going awry was unknown. It was also said that the beast had been infused into the child of the fourth hokage. However, that proved to have no importance to me as the man appeared on a moonless night to tell me he would be gone for a while. With a kiss, he told me that he would soon return. With that, he disappeared. _

_Time had passed and you had grown quite a bit. Arata and Saku were still a happy couple, but things within the economy were changing. Businesses were going down, but life was still manageable with Arata working harder than ever. Unfortunately, I too was the same. Still down trodden with life, I didn't tell Saku or Arata about those meetings. It was only later that I realized the gravity of that man's presence—in the worst way._

_It was another moonless night, and I was on my way back from freelancing about the town when a familiar presence caught my attention. I whirled about and found myself in the exact position I had been in years ago. "You!" I yelled when he appeared from the shadows. If it weren't for that stupid mask of his, I could've sworn that a smile was planted on his face. Without a word, he seamlessly stepped forward and kissed a lock of my hair. "Long time no see, Akane…" He was about to lean closer when a figure possessing the very same red orbs appeared within the shadows. "Ah, Itachi, is that you?" He turned around so I could be seen by the man in the shadows. "Itachi, this is Akane. Akane, this is Itachi." He seemed amused with the idea of this introduction._

"_I've been given the order," A deep, monotonous voice that held a tinge of despair to it._

"_Aa, proceed then." He turned away to give his full attention to me again. "That was Itachi. He's also one of my accomplices. He's a talented boy. Unfortunately, he's also stubborn. But enough about him, how have you been?" I tore my gaze away from him earning a chuckle, "I suppose you'd still say no to my offer?" He pointed to my chest, to that beating thing that had gone cold years ago. "Hmph, you probably don't realize it. I know the desires of your heart." The man leaned over and whispered words that were inaudible to me; however, something seemed to possess me at that moment._

_I can't really describe what happened next except that it was all too painful. I remember the disappointed looks of my parents, and how they would always compare me to my older sister. I remember the villager's leers as I passed down the town square. I remember the harsh gossip that went around about me. Most of all, I remember the smiles that Arata and Saku had despite knowing my feelings. I was crushed. Everything went blank. From there, random blurred memories appeared into my vision. I vaguely remember entering my house and meeting Arata at the doorway, then there was a series of flashing memories, most of which I don't remember. There was a scream that I distinguished as Arata's. This was followed by Saku's, and then yours, and then Arata's. _

_And then there was nothingness._

_The next thing I knew, I was being helped up by the anbu of the village. My head hurt like hell, and I could hear the whispers of the people outside. Finally getting my composure back, I turned around to survey my surroundings to find the biggest shock of my life: Arata and Saku were in body bags already ready to be shipped off by the authorities. I screamed, tears pouring out of my eyes as I ran to embrace the cold corpse of my sister. I asked the anbu what had happened, but no one had the proper response. It was then I realized that you weren't around. I tossed and turned, demanding for your location, but they also did not have an answer. Apparently, there had been too many deaths that night. _

_And as the moon was at its highest peak, an all too familiar figure appeared from the shadows. "You were brilliant, you know?" That voice again. I refused to look this time. Those red orbs of his would be the death of me. "The way you tortured Arata until he lost his senses and went for his own daughter. Priceless." I gasped, holding myself tighter, until my nails dug into my skin. "Don't be like that," he chuckled venomously as he approached my side. He sat, wrapping an arm around me, "You really are fit for me, goddess of the fiery fury," A finger trailed down my side, "Goddess of war," I could feel his gaze as he forcibly turned my head so he could, as his mask had been lifted away, plant a rash kiss on my lips. The nerve! He was a monster! I could sense a deep darkness surging from within him. I pulled away, huddling myself in a corner as far away as possible from him. Those eyes…those red eyes…they were filled with so much despair, anger, and vengeance. He was crazy! _

_He laughed, grasping his abdomen to hold his laughter, "Ah well," He approached me, grasping a lock of my hair, "I'll come back soon. However, now, I have things I have to attend to." With that, he vanished never to appear in my life again. After that, I remember staying in that corner until the sun arose. When it did, I rushed out to search for you, but you were gone. On that night, there had been many deaths. As I gathered myself up and walked around town in desperate search for you, I heard the story of the day: An entire clan had been killed overnight. The person responsible? Uchiha Itachi. _

_The memory of that night still unnerved me. Had I really done those horrible things? It was only later that the scenes of that night flashed in my head. Each and every night those nightmares would come back to haunt me. Saku's scream as she rushed to defend you, Arata's misled thoughts—sanity broken—and you…your unsettled tears. I'd kill myself over and over just to set things right, but it's too late now. All I could do was painfully wait for you as my punishment. After all, with everything, I did not deserve the happiness that was offered to me once before. _

_Thus, please, that man…you must stay away from him. I know Itachi and Sasuke mean well, but the third survivor of their clan does not. That man will use Itachi and Sasuke to find you, and he will harm you just as he harmed me. Yes, Sakura, I already anticipate his coming. He will come again, and when he does, I will die. _

_I will either die by his hand or kill myself. I will never leave with him. That man's venom is strong, but I shall fight to the end. That man is a curse. He is a monster and deserves death in the cruelest way. I will do my best to protect you until the end, my cherry blossom. So, be strong. Be strong against this man whose name never fails to make my heart cringe in fear:_

_ Uchiha Madara._

_I will fight, Sakura, to the end. However, you should know that I love you with all of my heart. I simply hope that when I pass, I'll be able to, if I am permitted by the heavens, to join your mother and tell her how you've grown. However, knowing her, I'm sure that she's always been at your side all this time. _

_Now that I've told you all of this, please guard yourself well. We love you._

_Akane Haruno"_

"Yes, everybody deserves happiness." He touched the side of her cheek, grazing her lips with his thumb. Much like a whirlwind of flowers, a feeling of letting go—an epiphany of sorts—washed over him. He would let go of the guilt within his heart just as she would learn to let go. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him, his lips catching hers into a deep kiss. "I love you, Sakura." He said firmly within their kiss, "I will give you the happiness you deserve," He smoothed the top of her head. He could see her emerald eyes swim with confusion from his impulsive manners, causing him to grin in satisfaction. "I'm sure that your happiness is what they wanted to give you. Should you feel guilty, it would be because you would not be able to fulfill their dream and that is to make you happy."

Itachi gently knocked foreheads with her, giving her a peck along with it, "But I'll make sure that happens. I'll take over the responsibility of making you happy." She deserved this happiness, but to grant her this happiness and let her _let go_, he would first have to _let go_ as well. Until he learned to let go, what right did he have to ask her to do the same? So, by the deep regret and sorrowful sadness within his heart, he would apologize, get up from the ground and walk once again. It was only now that he realized there wasn't really any choice. Sasuke and Sakura were his only reasons to live, and, should he continue wallowing in dismayed, and disheartening self pity, he saw no right for him to tell them to move on with their lives.

To chain one's self in the past and burden one's self in relentless guilt got them nowhere. It was time to stand up and walk again. One may stop, but time never stops. It keeps going and going, and the only decision people can make is to either walk and make use of this time or stop and waste their life away. The sands of time were falling grain by grain, and each passing moment wasted by living in the past would never lead them to happiness.

A soft chuckle escaped her cherry pink lips as she returned his peck with another, "Silly man, ever since I was a young girl, you've already made me happy. I'm sure that on that night, mother and father guided me towards you." She grinned, the widest one she'd ever done for the past few weeks, "But, you do know that Akane-ba san asked me to stay away from you _Uchihas_, right?" She raised a brow, turning towards the slightly opened door, gray eyes looking through them. "Have you finished reading them, Sasuke kun?"

Sasuke quietly entered the room, face hidden from the couple. He cleared his throat, handing the letters and shoving them onto Itachi. "I have." A soft hiss of vexation slithered out of his lips, red eyes fixing onto Itachi who kept a callous mask on despite the Sharingan pointing straight at him.

"Sasuke kun!" Sakura, alerted to the boy's anger, had sat up to separate the two brothers.

"That man!" Sasuke barked at his older brother, "Who was that man? He helped you on that night," Sasuke, completely ignoring the presence of the pinkette, grabbed Itachi by the collar of his shirt, "That man's the third Uchiha, wasn't he?" His eyes dangerously narrowed, "When I read those letters, I remembered things that happened on that night. Of the secrets of the Uchiha household and—" Sasuke was forced to a halt when Itachi grabbed his wrist. Calmly, Itachi pulled away from his younger brother's grip and put some space between them. "Calm down, Sasuke."

"Calm down? Don't tell me to calm down! I may have given up on my intentions to kill you, but it was only because of Sakura! Now I discover that this third Uchiha was responsible for everything…now that I know that YOU helped him achieve this—hurt Sakura and our clan…" He gritted his teeth, red eyes so keen on ripping Itachi apart with all of his anger. His hands reached out to grab Itachi, but were prevented by Sakura who had thrown herself to push Sasuke away. "I may have given up, but I had never forgiven you." In frustration, he turned on his heel and headed out the door way.

"SASUKE KUN!" Sakura yelled out to stop him. Oh dear, things had been looking up. This was her fault. She had asked Sasuke to read the letters because, as an Uchiha, it concerned him. However, was it the right choice? She was beginning to think it wasn't, but Itachi thought otherwise.

"Anger only fogs your mind, Sasuke." Itachi's words had made the younger Uchiha pause. Sasuke was about to whip around and make a smart come back when he felt a huge force push him against the wall. Itachi, in a blink of an eye, had Sasuke pinned against the wall, Itachi's forearm holding him by the throat. Sasuke gasped for air, tearing at Itachi's arm.

"ITACHI!" Sakura yelled, gripping Itachi by the shoulders and attempting to pry him off of Sasuke. "Stop it!" One last attempt and she was going to use her chakra infused hands to throw him—the both of them—off.

"Calm down. I understand your anger, but for the truth to surface, one must have a clear mind." He released Sasuke who had dropped to the floor, choking to breath. "Once you've eased, only then will I tell you—both of you—everything. The _truth_ about the third Uchiha: Uchiha Madara"

Without taking a second glance at Sakura and Sasuke, Itachi smoothly marched off the room leaving a stunned Sakura and a reflecting Sasuke.

"Itachi…" Sakura's eyes trailed after Itachi's figure. She took one quick, sad glance at Sasuke before sinking onto the floor.

Who was he?

Who was Uchiha Madara?

**XxxxxxxX**

**-Alas, Uchiha Madara comes into the story line! I suppose there are silver linings to me not updating as fast. The Naruto updates let me find new events to insert this ItaSaku romance and still incorporate my plot. xD **

**-Once again, I'd like to thank my readers who continue to wait for my updates even when it takes me eons to update. I do hope that my writing has improved and that, with the thickening of the plot, is worth your waiting! I hope that you all Read and Review, as per usual that I ask, and continue supporting the fanfic =) **

**-Also, if you guys have any fanart, fan videos or anything about Tabula Rasa, please don't be afraid to share them! I appreciate them very much =) With that said, thank you very much again!**

**-"…We've been falling all this time, and now I'm lost in Paradise…" –Lost in Paradise, Evanescence 2011**


	27. Chapter 22: The Truth

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do, however, own my OC's such as Akane, Saku, Arata, and the like. **

**-SO I was reading my previous chapters, and I realized how exaggerated some parts of this story was. However, I don't believe I'll be changing that soon. After all, this is—was—my first fanfic ever. I believe this'll serve me as some sort of tracking as to how my writing style improved over the years. ANYWAY, on with the show. **

**-Sorry for the delay. Issues with formatting and what-not. As usual, R&R and thank you for the support!**

**XxxxxxxxxX**

**Chapter 22**

**~The Truth~**

They sat lounged in their own individual ways. Itachi, Pain and Konan sat on the three-person sofa, and across them were Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Face to face, their focus lay with one another and not with the others in the room. They were simple spectators, yet they listened on the conversation as seriously as the major players in the story. Hidan and Kakuzu leaned adjacently against walls behind Pain and Konan. Deidara and Sasori sat on individual recliners near Sakura. Kakashi and Sai stood near Naruto and Sasuke while Kisame, still aloof from the group, stood beneath the arch that connected the quaint living room with the Haruno kitchen.

"Uchiha Madara" Itachi let the name roll, spite filling every syllable of the name, "was, as history says, one of the founders of Konoha. You all know him from the battle at the Valley of the End." At the mention of the said place, both Naruto and Sasuke perked up, memories flooding their minds about their own battle at the Valley of the End.

"That doesn't fucking make sense. If he _founded_ Konoha, then shouldn't the guy be a fucking corpse?" Hidan had spoken up, his Scythe fixed upon his back.

"You're a corpse too, technically, hm." Deidara had remarked at Hidan. A teasing glint in his blue eyes.

"Deidara nii, this isn't the time," Sakura glared at the blonde, shutting him up once and for all o at least presently. She then turned to Hidan, giving him a threatening look as if to tell him to ignore the blonde and listen.

"That…" Itachi kept his eyes fixed on Sasuke whose expression demanded answers, "That is something that remains a mystery. All I know is that he was responsible for the attack of the Kyuubi 17 years ago, but other than that, to be honest, what I know about him is limited. But I can tell all of you this: He exists, and he has plans."

"Well that doesn't fucking help," Hidan scoffed, turning away from the _all-knowing_ Uchiha, and acting as if the blonde had not irked him. He had redirected his anger at Itachi and his lack of information.

"I approached Uchiha Madara," Itachi continued, ignoring Hidan's comment, "Back then, he had wanted to rekindle the flames of war. I was against that. I asked him to spare the village. In turn, I would help him get revenge on the Uchiha clan for what they had done to him years ago." He glanced at Sasuke, seeing his fists tighten. He was angry. He could see him restraining himself.

"Why would you do that?" Sakura asked, emerald eyes glancing back and forth between Itachi and Sasuke. So Itachi _had_ purposely killed his clan, but why did it seem like there was more to it?

"Because they were planning to revolt against Konoha. Secretly, the Uchiha clan was planning an assault—starting a civil war—against Konoha in order to assert their power."

All of them piqued in attention. This was the first time any of them was hearing this and were now all ears. "Being part of the Anbu was a scheme thought up by the head of the clan, Uchiha Fugaku, my—our—father." He glanced at Sasuke, seeing the shock that delved in him.

"You were a spy from the inside," Kakuzu had concluded for the group, "But…you were a double agent, weren't you?"

Itachi nodded, "The council used me to keep a watch on the clan while I fed the clan information." He paused, recounting the numerous back and forth trips he did between the clan and the Anbu. "In the end," His voice was remorseful. It remained steady despite the impending shakiness, "I had to choose. Konoha or the clan."

"You chose Konoha." Sasuke spoke, gray eyes fixed steadily on Itachi, "Why? Why did you betray the clan for…Konoha?"

The nin of Konoha looked at Sasuke. Family was important, but to condemn the whole village? Was it reasonable? No, of course they would believe he was unreasonable. To them, being a part of the Konoha side, they would obviously side with the village's welfare over the welfare of a minority population such as the Uchihas. However, to Sasuke, it was only _logical_ for him to side with his clan, the Uchiha. So why didn't Itachi side with them?

"For Peace." Itachi looked Sasuke straight in the eyes. This revelation of facts was not for Sakura, for Konoha, nor for the clan. It was solely for Sasuke. "Why do you think the Uchiha clan was kept in such a secluded area? It was for easy monitoring. They—we—were already suspected of conspiring against the village. But, greater things were at bay. If the Uchiha clan had succeeded with their coup d'état, another ninja war would have started, eventually. War would once again plague Konoha."

He went on despite seeing his younger brother pale.

"For the sake of peace, I had chosen to wipe out our clan. I killed everyone…except you. I kept you alive. Even afterwards, I asked the Third to protect you. After that, I defected as a Konoha nin and joined Akatsuki to watch Madara. I had never trusted the man and kept watch." He stilled, lowering his head and waiting for Sasuke to snap back. He had done his best to explain everything. Would he take it? To his surprise, Sasuke had silently stood and walked out of the room without complaint.

Sakura stood, opting to follow Sasuke when Itachi asked her to sit back down. Handing the task of giving information to Pain, Itachi went after Sasuke. When the Uchiha brothers had disappeared, silence drowned them. Nothing but the sounds of their faint heartbeats filled the room.

"Shall we continue?" Pain had taken over, breaking the silence. His ringed eyes commanded silence and demanded their full attention.

**XxxxxxxxX**

"Sasuke!" Itachi stood a few feet away from Sasuke who refused to turn to him. They had ended up in the training grounds. No one was in sight. Not a soul save for the Uchiha brothers' was present.

"I don't understand you," Itachi could see all the emotions even without Sasuke having to turn towards him. He held it: the sadness, the confusion, the anger, the hate, the love. "Why would you choose Konoha?"

"I already told you why—"

"I know! But WHY? Peace? Don't give me that bullshit!" Sasuke had turned to face him, desperation vivid within his ruby irises. "You killed all of them for THAT? Just admit it! This stupid village forced you, didn't they? They blackmailed you with something, right?"

"They ordered me to do it, but I could have chosen against it."

A scream of anger was heard before a kunai sped passed Itachi, him dodging it perfectly with a simple turn of his head. In moments, Sasuke had come up in front of him, another kunai in hand and ready to strike. In response, Itachi drew his own Kunai and blocked his brother's attack. "THEN WHY DID YOU?" Sharingan eyes glared at Itachi, "Okaa sama! Otou sama! Everyone! You killed them!"

Sasuke twisted, aiming to break them apart with a kick. Itachi jumped back to avoid the kick only to find himself gagging blood. Sasuke had managed to pull out his katana and shoot a Chidori at his chest, impaling Itachi. To the misfortune of the latter, the stabbed Itachi dissipated into a flock of crows. A familiar pair of Sharingan stared back at Sasuke from atop a tree branch. "The same trick again, Itachi?"

"Sasuke, stop this. You don't understand." Itachi turned, sensing the blade of Sasuke's Katana before the curve of his neck. The Sasuke in front of him melted into nothing but mud as the Sasuke behind him yelled, "Then answer me! Make me understand!" Sasuke was about to draw his sword when this Itachi disappeared in a puff of smoke. He appeared behind Sasuke, several Kunai aimed at Sasuke who managed to dodge and land safely below. Itachi, too, landed and circled Sasuke as he performed the seals with great speed. Sasuke, reading the seals with his own Sharingan, did the same seals. At the same time, they launched two Great Fireball techniques only to come out evenly matched.

As the smoke cleared, Sasuke could make out his brother's figure. With great speed, he shot a Chidori which upon hitting the silhouette before him caused it to dissipate. He turned, sensing Itachi's presence behind him. Upon reflex, Sasuke attempted to use his Kanata to slash through him. Thwarted, Itachi grabbed hold of Sasuke's wrist. "Sasuke…" He said his name with such authority that for a split second, Sasuke lost hold of himself. In an attempt to dislodge himself, Sasuke let his cursed seal take over as he sent out multiple snakes from his seal to release him from Itachi's grasp.

Itachi reeled, retreating in a puff of smoke. Itachi made several seals and released a Fireball. Unfortunately, Sasuke dodged it by leaping in the air. Two shurikens came flying towards Sasuke as he did an air somersault, flipping in the air, to avoid them. With ease, Sasuke landed a feet away from Itachi only to find himself stabbed with Itachi's kunai from behind. "You bastard!" Sasuke coughed up blood as he disappeared into a pile of snakes.

"I think it's about time to stop with the old tricks, don't you?" Itachi's voice resonated throughout the training ground like some omniscient being. His patience thinning, Sasuke sent a resonant Chidori, slamming his hand against the ground to create a shockwave of electricity and sending everything within a lengthy radius into a spasm of electricity.

Itachi jumped out of the trees, his mangekyou eyes fixed soley on Sasuke. In an instant, Sasuke had thrown several kunai at Itachi who blocked them with several kunais on his own. As the electricity in the ground dissipated, Itachi landed onto the ground. "You—" Sasuke shifted his gaze to his feet as several hands from the ground rose and grabbed hold of Sasuke's limbs, immobilizing him. With little movement, Itachi sent a single kunai, and it hit Sasuke straight into his heart.

With weary eyes, Sasuke glanced up at Itachi, a triumphant smile on his face. "I thought you said it was time to stop with the old tricks?" He chuckled as everything faded into a complete blur. Sasuke and Itachi stood as they had originally done: inches apart and a heated stare between them.

"Enough with the genjutsu," Sasuke called out as he unsheathed his katana. The cold metal of his blade reflected the sunlight. In that instant, he had remembered his promise to Sakura. To let go of the hate was difficult. Reading those letters and knowing that this third Uchiha had been there to cause grief to the people he loved churned his insides. The worst part of it all was that Itachi had conspired with this man. Why hadn't he just killed that guy? He could've prevented a damn load of other things if he had killed this man. Yet, the question that Sasuke had failed to ask himself in his moment of spite was this: Could this man—this Third Uchiha—be killed?

Sasuke initiated the fight, suddenly jumping a good feet away from Itachi. He arched backwards, doing several seals to release a Great Fire ball at his brother, who on seeing the seals readied his counterattack. As the orange flames of Katon jutsu emerged from Sasuke's lips, a black flame encircled this jutsu until it disappeared. Smoke once again filled the arena, Sasuke panting from the sudden loss of chakra. He could see, Sharingan clearly peering through the debris, the bleeding eye of his older brother. "…Amaterasu…"

**XxxxxxX**

"What do you know of him, Nagato?" Naruto had his eyes fixed on the Akatsuki leader, taking in his feeble yet domineering form.

Nagato kept his gaze steady, "Not more than Itachi. However, I believe that the entire Akatsuki is very familiar with him." He reclined himself, arching his back so he could crack the back pains away. "You know Sakura, I don't think you would've met him. I mean, he is new to the Akatsuki so—"

"Hold on there leader sama, hm" Deidara had his arms resting firmly on his lap. He asserted himself, leaning closer as if to shift the spotlight onto himself, "Are you saying that this Uchiha Madara is a new member of—wait, you can't mean…HIM, hm?" He was in disbelief. There was no way in hell that _that_ idiot would be Madara. Why, the very thought sent shivers down his spine. Madara had been right under their noses. However, for someone with such caliber, why did their leader allow him free? Why did—unless…

"Tobi," Nagato did a brief survey of each of the member's faces. Shock, disbelief, and denial were clearly evident. "He was giving the chain of commands in secret and—"

"FUCK. You're telling us that this fucking Madara freak has been with us this entire time? And we didn't fucking _know?" _Hidan had stood, eyes furrowed angrily at their leader.

"It's never really good to hide things, is it?" Nagato sighed, lowering his head at the rage he had brought on. How many times had it happened, them hiding things to prevent pain when it only brought on more? How many times had their good intentions gone wrong? He glanced at Konan, taking in the look of shock on her face. She too was not aware of his identity. "Yes, he had been with us. The ever hyper yet alert Tobi. As I was saying, he was giving commands in secret."

"That IDIOT was one of the most powerful people who ever set foot in this damned world, hmmmm?" Deidara had risen; His face reddened from the sudden rush of blood. He let out a laugh, one filled with angst and cynicism, "There was NO WAY that, that, that THING, hm, is Madara Uchiha." How could he have not known? He must've looked like the biggest idiot of them all right now. To be partnered briefly with that son of a bitch for a meager reconnaissance mission, be so aggravated by him, and, to top it all off, fail miserably to see the truth? It caused his ego to crumble mercilessly. And what of Itachi? Had he known? Most likely. Perfect. More reasons to despise him.

"So all of you had some connection with him?" To divert their attention, Sakura had interrupted Deidara's rage. Her emerald eyes were fixed on Nagato's ringed eyes. She never did pay attention to his stark red hair, not that it wasn't appealing. It just didn't currently matter. "Well," She was growing impatient, "The point is that this Uchiha Madara has, somehow, a connection with _all_ of us. Right under our noses, too. It only proves that he isn't one to be taken lightly."

"Geez Squirt, isn't the fact that he's over centuries old enough reason to think that?" Kisame, sneering from his little corner, had his back against the wall. Beady shark eyes took in the light blush that managed to tint her cheeks. Adorable as she was when embarrassed, it was a waste that Itachi had not seen it. If he had, he would've death-glared him for causing embarrassment to his little kitten.

Then again, where was Itachi?

As if on cue, the door burst open revealing blonde hair and blue eyes of which were similar to Deidara's. The ol' Deidara-look-a-like, he could never get over that. He would've given the extremely thin female a sneer, feeling as snarky as he did, if not for her extremely panicked expression. "SAKURA!"

No nicknames? This was serious. Sakura's inner had slapped herself. This really wasn't a good time, yet she believed Ino wasn't the type to be as _stupid_—and she could be sometimes—as to interrupt a conversation with an atmosphere as dead as this, "What is it, Ino?"

"It's Sasuke kun and his older brother!" She sucked in a good breath of air, reeling from her run, "They've devastated the whole Training grounds. Shikamaru and I suggested we get the Anbu and any able bodied men to stop them, but she said to get YOU." Sakura could tell she was furious. Her lip was turned in the way she usually did when she was extremely dissatisfied with something. Moreover, that glare her single exposed eye gave didn't need Sakura to reveal the other one to know that Ino was pissed. About what, she could only guess was probably a failed argument with the Hokage, her favoritism, and her worry for Sakura. _Silly Ino, no matter how much you claim me to be your rival, you still care. _

Sakura would've grinned except the thought of the two Uchihas battling it out and destroying public property had prevented her from doing so. "THEY WHAT?" Was her delayed reaction. In a mad dash, she disappeared without a another word.

_Damn it, Itachi. Here? Now?_ Kisame had his thoughts occupied.

**XxxxxxX**

Dark clouds poured overhead, shrouding the scene in a dim atmosphere. The training ground was dirtied and was a complete mess even if "a mess" was an understatement of whatever "redecorating" the Uchiha Siblings managed to do. Dirt was scattered in mounds, evidence of flame balls as they created craters on innocent soil. Trees had been uprooted, burned and sliced into bits while their leaves scattered around as ashes upon crisp soil. The posts which stood in threes had remained unscathed, fortunately, save for the meager burns on the trunk. However, the mere sight of the two Uchihas who were crouched against the toasted ground was a sight that screamed devastation.

Heavy breath echoed throughout the barren field. The elder Uchiha, marked with wounds and deep exhaustion approached the younger Uchiha. He staggered towards his younger brother, his upper body bent over as his lower half could not properly support his weight. "Sasuke," He muttered as he fell on his knees inches before his brother who was just as exhausted.

Sasuke attempted to retreat, falling backwards and clawing at the ground. "Stay away from me!" He yelled as he managed to evade an outreached hand. In seconds and out of desperation, his cursed seal began reacting to his heightened emotions of panic. His skin, eyes, and lips darkened as the tri-tomoe that marked his flesh began to expand.

Although Sasuke had managed to kill Orochimaru and escape his clutches, he had failed to rid himself of the cursed seal. His curse had managed to stay intact, and so much as he did not want to depend on it, his survival mode had kicked into high gear. He arose from the ground, his eyes staring down at his older brother. This was his moment. Itachi was weak, and this would be his chance of finally attaining his revenge.

He looked into his brother's eyes, taking in his weak and debilitated form. He took a step, sneering at his brother's unwavering expression. He still had the decency to hold his pride? He marched towards his brother, ready to strike when a sharp pain from his shoulder caused him to collapse on one knee. He let out a pained groan, grasping his left shoulder and squeezing it in an attempt to ease the pain.

Then everything went dark.

The next time Sasuke regained his consciousness, he was apparently against one of the three posts where Naruto had once been tied up so long ago. His eyes widened, taking in the scene before him. Itachi was barely standing on his two legs. Before him was a gigantic creature, one that wore armor and seemed to be made of bright red flames. What was this beast his brother had summoned? Conjured? He swallowed a heavy lump as he saw his brother's dead gaze shift from the ground to meet his.

Never before had he been this afraid. The last time he had felt so helpless was against Orochimaru that time at the forest. The terror. It was all coming back to him. The thought of death kept him frozen in place. He glanced right and left as if looking for a way out, and, when he found none, could only cower silently as his brother, who appeared so much like the grim reaper, approached him.

Itachi kept his gaze firmly on Sasuke. He felt a pang in his chest as his knees buckled beneath him. He was a foot away from Sasuke. His hand had instinctively covered his mouth to shield the sudden spurt of blood. He rose, looking straight into Sasuke's fearful eyes. He had his hand outreached with his two fingers, his index and middle finger pointing towards Sasuke, who was still attempting to escape but could not. He was paralyzed in fear, and Itachi could see it. After Itachi had managed to lean close enough, he thrust his fingers onto Sasuke's forehead. "Enough, Otou otou." With that, he coughed up blood once more before collapsing onto Sasuke's side.

Moments had passed, and he had simply sat there shocked at how things had unraveled. In the blank darkness of his mind, Sasuke could only stare at the scene before him. Flames caused by both he and Itachi had died down with the sudden onslaught of rain. He and his older brother were dirtied and bloodied. What a fight. He felt Itachi move, alarming him to probable imminent danger. However, this died down when he saw his brother's weary eyes. In this state, Itachi could do no more. "Sasuke," his name sent chills down his spine. This tone. It was so familiar. "I know that I've done a lot of…inhumane things." He stifled an oncoming cough so he could continue speaking albeit little strength he had, "And I regret most of what I did except…" His voice trailed off. He breathed in, a shrill stridor heard from his inhale. "Except keeping you alive. But I've hurt you in the most despicable way." Itachi rolled on his side to let out a violent cough. Ignoring the huge amount of blood he had coughed up, he lay back down.

Sasuke sat there unmoving, as if the words Itachi was saying was all seeping in. It was suddenly becoming clear—everything. Was this what he meant when he said he needed a clear mind to understand the truth? He managed to glance at his brother despite his rooted form. A sudden burst of emotion suddenly topped over the huge wall of ice that was surrounding his heart. What was this overly familiar feeling? In his feeble form, Itachi looked so…pitiful. So weak. So defeated. So apologetic.

"I don't deserve anything, little brother. So, do as you wish with me. Accomplish the task I gave you years ago: an avenger. Go on. Take your revenge." He shut his eyes, anticipating the feel of cold steel or something worse. In silence and self-mourning, he awaited his death by the hands of his brother who hated him.

Sasuke, at the mention of avenger, suddenly found the will to stir from his place. He clawed on the bark of the tree, pulling himself up until he had managed to stand on his own two feet. He lurched until he stood before his bloodied and beaten brother. This was the moment he had dreamed off years ago: the feeling of victory riling him up as he watched his brother's death slowly unravel before him. He lifted his hand, gathering chakra onto his hand to send a chidori straight onto the man's heart.

He heard the rain fall onto the earth as a long silence echoed throughout the training field. He gathered all the loathing he had for the man, recounting all the emotions and memories he had with Itachi, his only brother.

There was lightning.

Then there was silence.

**XxxxxxX**

"Kisame nii kun! What the hell is that?" Sakura spotted the sudden flash of lightning a good distance from where they were. Skimming over the tops of trees, the gang had dashed off to stop the two before things grew out of proportion.

"That lightning," Naruto had muttered at Sakura's side, "It looks a lot like—"

"Don't say it, Naruto." She had interrupted him, dismissing what Naruto thought it could have been, "Just a lightning storm, that's all."

"Sakura! You can't honestly think that that lightning bolt was a—"

"Naruto," Kakashi had called from behind Naruto. When the blonde glanced back, Kakashi only shook his head as if to tell him that now was not a good time. With a sigh, the blonde had complied albeit hesitantly.

"They're both safe." Sakura said as if in plea to the heavens, "They're both…safe." She swallowed, gathering her courage to face whatever scene she would see at the training grounds.

Good or otherwise.

**XxxxxxX**

Sasuke panted as he kneeled over his brother's body. The surge of lightning called upon by Sasuke had powered his Chidori as much as he needed it to, but as he released this powerful Chidori, he felt all energy within him drain away. However, as his energy left him, so did his defenses.

His wall had broken down.

Tears were streaming down his face in a rage. He felt his hands tremble uncontrollably under the gush of emotion he was feeling. This was it. The depraved sadness he had once felt and pushed away to never feel again. The grief. The regret. The sorrow.

"…Why?"

"I couldn't…nii san."

"…You…" With that, Itachi's voice died away with the rainfall.

"SASUKE KUN!" Sakura had suddenly appeared before the two. When she had seen Itachi's unconscious form, she had panicked. Quickly, she rushed to Itachi and Sasuke's side to check for Itachi's pulse.

"He's alive, Saku—" Sasuke had managed to say under a bare whisper before he felt himself whipping away from a rather strong slap. As he felt the earth settle beneath him, he managed to lift his head up to see a crying Sakura. "Sakura…I'm—"

She didn't stop to listen. Instead, she had returned to Itachi's side to oversee his wounds. Behind her, Kisame appeared with a grave look on his face. "Is he…?"

"Sasuke was telling the truth. He's alive, but he's in critical condition. Kisame nii kun could you—"

"Way ahead of you, squirt." Kisame lifted his partner's body, careful not to cause any additional damage to his body. He took one last glance at Sasuke before Kisame dashed off with Naruto and Kakashi to the hospital where the others had gone ahead to alert the hospital.

Alone, Sakura watched Sasuke as he stared down onto the ground he was lying on. She approached him after a long, undisturbed silence, gathering Sasuke with her inhuman strength so he could at least sit in a comfortable position. "That slap was for behaving like you did. For being a jackass." When he didn't say anything in return, she glared at him, checking Sasuke for any internal damage. "Several abrasions, no internal bleeding, and some broken ribs. You're fine." She glanced up at him, studying his features once again. The look he had was astonishing as much as it was comforting.

"You had your chance. Why didn't you kill him?" She tended to his wounds as she awaited his answer, passing her green chakra infused over his damaged body to administer first aid.

A long pause was felt, the air growing darker with the onset of more rain clouds. The weather that morning had forecast a stormy evening. Pure coincidence, perhaps?

"I couldn't. I don't know why, but I just couldn't." He finally managed to say, "At the last second, I pulled my hand away so the Chidori hit the ground next to him instead."

When Sasuke had finished, obviously at a loss from his surprising actions, a smile graced Sakura's lips. "I know why you didn't." He turned to her, eyes expecting a clear answer that she had always managed to deliver. Why had he not killed him? "The answer's simple, Sasuke. Because, despite all the hate you have in there," She motioned to his chest, "There's still a small space for _that."_

"That?"

"Love."

"…love?"

"Mhm."

"…You realize you're probably to blame for this, right?"

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, a chuckle erupting from her lips. "Mmmm…probably. Naruto too. And Kakashi-sensei. And probably everyone you ever had bonds with."

"…bonds…?"

"You once said you severed them." She got up, dusting her skirt off, "Liar. You obviously haven't. You just don't want to admit that they can't be broken." She smiled down on him as she was completely drenched in the late afternoon rain. With a hand outstretched, she beckoned Sasuke to grab hold and pull himself up.

"Love allows Forgiveness. Forgiveness allows Love. It's a cycle. Have one, you can have both. Have none…and, well…" She let her sentence go unfinished hoping he could deduce what the outcomes could be, "I'm glad you had either…maybe even both," She winked at him before she threw another hard slap; this time, aiming for the back of his head. "I'm still not letting you off so easily." She smirked at Sasuke who had grunted in return.

"You have a lot of apologizing to do, Sasuke-teme."

**XxxxxxX**

**-Hurray for Itachi and Sasuke brotherly love! It's been a long time, folks. As you may have noticed, I completely SUCK at fight scenes. I had to model it from their actual fight just without the "I kept you alive for the sake of your eyes" moments. Itachi had revealed the truth, why bother going along with the "I was secretly evil but I'm really a good guy" excuse? **

**-If there are things that seem hazy, like parts that you don't understand, please don't be afraid to ask. I'll be happy to answer them. **

**- "Forgive me Sasuke… Again, next time." –Itachi Uchiha, Naruto**


	28. Chapter 23: Ordinary

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do, however, own my OC's such as Akane, Saku, Arata, and the like. **

**-I deeply apologize for the lack of…activity. I've been buried in schoolwork and it's taken a miracle for this chapter to be finished. =)) Thus, in lieu of my absence, warning: long chapter filled with emotional fillers. **

**-On a note, there may be some medical terms here. They're explained in the footnotes **

**XxxxxxxxxX**

**Chapter 23**

**~Ordinary~**

Time had never seemed as slow as it did now. The ticking of the wall clock high above the patient's bed echoed throughout the room, filling in the gaps of insufferable silence. The hospital room, quiet and bare as it was, was a vision of white and gray, creating an air of staleness and dullness. The pale drapes that feigned to block sunlight fluttered carelessly against the gentle breeze of the room's electric fan, the soft buzzing of metal resounding as it spun rapidly. The door, ajar, let in the muffled noises of the world outside.

Outside the room, the depraved atmosphere was shunned away by the heavy buzzing of daily life within the hospital. Nurses shuffled back and forth between rooms and hallways, routinely checking on the patients' vital signs; Doctors would phase in and out between rooms, going about their ritualistic rounds. However, among the group of professional doctors and Nurses, the typical citizen health team, were the medic shinobis. Out in the field, they were trained both in the medical and shinobi arts—making them great assets in times of mission or warfare.

Among these medical shinobi, the one who stood out the most was the blonde who treaded down the hallway and into the room at the far end of it. Tsunade-hime, one of the sannin and fifth Hokage of Konoha, was considered as the best in, and pioneer of, the field. Her unyielding medical abilities and mastery in taijutsu were renowned throughout the five great countries.

Beautiful, strong, and intelligent, she was a woman above the caliber of most men. However, she could've cared less for her reputation, for the things on her mind weighed more than her name—or anyone's name for that matter.

Quietly but briskly, she opened the door. Her hazel eyes surveyed the room, picking the silhouette of the two visitors who had stayed with the patient all night—one of them being a supposed patient himself were it not for his stubbornness. "How is he doing?"

"Tsunade-sama…" Sakura sat up in alert, sharply turning to face her master, "He's still out, but his vital signs have remained stable: PR 68, Temp 36.7⁰, RR 24, BP 100/70" Sakura recounted his vital signs, the patient's chart held firmly between her hands.

"His respiratory rate is still above normal." Tsunade had her brows furrowed, obviously unhappy about the way he was progressing.

"He's been given the prescribed meds via IV push. The last dose was given at 2 by Mizono-san." Sakura continued before her master could ask as she could see the discontentment on her face.

"Before this…" She eyed the silent boy who sat across Sakura, his gray eyes callously looking at Tsunade. Despite his best efforts, Tsunade could see the worry and panic that he was stricken with. "Did Itachi mention anything to the both of you?"

The pinkette shook her head, a pained expression written on her face as she turned to face the said Itachi who lay unconscious on the bed. It had been a day since Kisame had barged in the hospital and demanded emergency care be rendered.

Deidara and the others had arrived before Kisame and had already arranged a room. The blue tinted man, however, had too much adrenaline pumping to settle down easily. In a fit, it had taken a sharp, unrestrained bark of orders from Nagato to stop the shark-man much to his demise.

"No," Was the short answer Sasuke gave, his head turned away so no one could see the expression on his face which Tsunade guessed was frustration.

"With the use of medical chakra, the team detected abnormalities in his lungs. This was confirmed by the hospital equipments. They found lesions—cavities to be precise—in his lungs."

"You don't mean-" Sakura stood at attention, wondering if Itachi's condition was indeed what had been on her mind.

"It's our best bet. If it is, it's good news for us," Tsunade moved to the patient's feet, examining Itachi from head to toe with her clinical eye. She had her arms on the foot board, her hands tightly gripping the railings as she leaned forward against the bed. "It means we can heal him somehow."

Sakura and Sasuke both let out a sigh of relief, gentle smiles plastering themselves on each of their faces. "That's good," Sakura remarked as she glanced up to meet Sasuke's eyes. "So he's been unconscious longer than we thought because of fatigue…right?"

"We can assume it to be." Tsunade straightened her back, her arms folding across her chest as she turned away from the two.

"Thank you, Shishou."

From the corner of her eye, the Hokage could notice the young Uchiha mutter a silent 'thank you', making her grin in satisfaction. "Well, I suppose you two can go home now, can't you? Visitors are only allowed until," She glanced up to read the time, "Well an hour ago" She chuckled as she began to usher the two out the room, despite their protest. "You two get some rest and come back in the morning, alright?"

As Sakura and Sasuke found themselves suddenly outside the room—dumbfounded—they could only let out a dissatisfied groan before turning tail and following the Hokage's orders.

"She's a scary woman," Sasuke whispered, leaning into Sakura's ear as he did so.

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet."

Back inside the room, Tsunade had her back against the window. The sun was setting and it painted the colorless room a brilliant orange. Even the pale drapes had turned a fiery red as was the effect of the deeply colored sun. The Hokage's shadow stretched, overshadowing the unconscious patient that lay on the bed, tubes coiled and fixed all over his body. She had her thumb between her teeth. Her habits were starting to kick in again.

**XxxxxxxX**

"How is he?" Kisame had gotten off the couch to stand. He'd been up all night and day at the Haruno residence awaiting for any good news to come his way.

"He's…resting." Sakura sighed, taking her place at the vacant spot beside Kisame. Sasuke, exhausted, found himself retreating to his room without looking at Kisame. He already knew what the shark man thought of him.

As Sakura made her way beside Kisame, he let himself drop down. "Resting? That's all?" He had an evident frown on his face, beady black eyes staring at Sakura and awaiting for any further news.

"He has Pulmonary Tuberculosis." She let it out curtly and with a brevity that told Kisame she didn't really want to admit it herself. "But it's just an initial diagnosis." She could hear the slight hitch in Kisame's breath.

Itachi was never sick—at least not to her knowledge, but to think he was _this_ sick all this time? The thing that now pervaded the depths of her cortex was the ever-drilling thoughts of: How long had he been sick? Why hadn't she noticed? In the end, she was mentally blaming herself for the outcome. If only she had known.

Her head hung low, Sakura could only lean onto Kisame's shoulder for comfort—just like she did as a young child. Blue skin, roughened by long periods of combat and training over the years, never felt so soothing. Perhaps it was the color that brought ease to her troubled heart. The color blue: peace and serenity.

In response to Sakura's gesture, Kisame wound his arm across her shoulders, gently resting his hand on the top of her soft, pink head. "It'll be alright, squirt. Itachi's a tough guy. He'll pull through."

"Mm," She nodded, shutting her eyes from the world. "Besides, I'm treating him."

Kisame chuckled, his shark grin revealing his rows of teeth. At least she managed to maintain her sense of humor. "You know, you were his one and only cure for everything."

"I was?" Sakura had perked up, lifting her head to glance at him.

"Oh yeah. With those girly band aids you used to put on him? Definitely." He was obviously teasing her—his way of cheering him up. It had been years since she had felt this way around him, her brother. Nobody would believe that this huge shark of a man could be this gentle, this understanding.

From the reputation that had been spun from the mouth of the citizens, this older brother of hers was as ruthless as he was dangerous. He was one of the seven swordsmen, known in the mist village as their finest warriors. However, he had turned his back on the village for certain reasons and betrayed it. After that, the blood he spilled only increased. From there, it was a downhill pitfall to being a dangerous S-class criminal.

To her, however, he was Kisame nii kun: gentle, blue giant who was always there to lend a shoulder. Playfully, she gave him a gentle fist tap as a way of pay back not that it would phase him. "Thank you, Kisame nii kun." She let out a soft smile, quietly lulling herself to asleep in Kisame's gentle yet firm shoulders.

He gave her a gentle tap to soothe her. With a curt nod, he pulled her closer so she could peacefully sleep. This pink cat was always adorable when she slept. She always had a way to stir the good side of him, although buried as deep as he wanted it to be. Perhaps it was the way it was impossible for her to ever lie to him or anyone. It was this transparency that drew him to her because it was this sense of 'truth' that he was looking for.

**XxxxxxX**

Lush forestry drowned the two artists in flora and fauna, encasing them in what would have been a spectacle to behold were their thoughts in better places.

"With the way things are going, hm, there's no need for anyone to try and kill the Uchihas, hm. They're doing fine on their own, hm." Deidara sat on top of a boulder, legs and arms folded as he collected and blurted his thoughts to his less—if not at all—interested partner.

They had taken a stroll, opting to choose the less populated path of Konoha should they get berated by the civilians. The people of Konoha had never really gotten over the fact that the Hokage had allowed a group of basically the most dangerous people on earth be housed with the Harunos. The death of Haruno Akane didn't help either. While Sakura locked herself off in grief, the Hokage had given orders to the Akatsuki to stay low while they attempted to subdue the flame of critics. Now, things had gotten quieter, yet they assumed that the people had gotten tired but had not changed their opinions.

Sasori, aloof as he always had been, kept his attention fixed on his puppet, tightening and loosening screws and implanting other _worldly_ booby traps for his next opponent. To be honest, he could care less about the ranting blonde or the Uchihas. When he had suggested walking around, he had expected to do it alone. Unfortunately, Deidara had wanted to get out and do some "stretching".

To an extent, he supposed he could relate. After all, having no missions to be assigned to and living a _peaceful_ existence was really something they were not used to. They had left their villages and betrayed their own kind for the sake of their personal goals. It was odd, especially for Sasori, to comply with a measly village such as Konoha.

But then again, they were not here, per se, for the sake of that kami-forsaken village or for their own safety. No, their reasons were much higher than that.

"Poor Sakura, hm." He cursed something incoherent, practically spitting at the thought of Itachi, "That bastard's better off not going near her, hm." And the topic at hand that had Deidara on the edge was Itachi Uchiha. He had really hated the man ever since he had managed to, somehow, defeat Deidara and drag him to join the Akatsuki. To top it off, Sakura had latched on to Itachi more than Deidara when the latter had so much more to offer.

"Do that and Sakura'll die." At long last, the ginger had spoken up albeit only half paying attention to what Deidara was saying. He lifted his puppet to better examine it in the sunlight, making note to even out a patch of coarse wood.

"What do you mean, hm?" Deidara was brilliant when it came to certain things. This, however, was a topic Deidara had long been—through the years—completely _stupid_ about. It made Sasori sigh and roll his eyes at the clay-molder. Weren't the signs of Sakura and Itachi's relationship clear enough for all to see? For all to understand? Guess he didn't get the message as much as _everybody_ hoped.

"Look brat," his voice was lower, a bare growl detectable in it, "You should just wake up and—"

Sasori felt himself stop when a loud explosion rang out. He glanced at Deidara who had gotten up from his thinking-boulder. On alert, the two made a quick survey of their surroundings for any signs of danger. Alas, there was none. With a curt nod from Sasori, Deidara had taken off, getting a head start from Sasori who still had to mount his puppet before taking off as well.

The explosion had taken place in a remote area of the village; a small mine just a few miles from the actual village. When Deidara had arrived, he smelled the all too familiar scent of gasoline and smoke. He cursed, glancing right and left for any signs of the explosion's origins. A miner, too rattled to notice the red clouds on Deidara's attire, came running and asking for help. When Deidara, to his own surprise, attempted to help by questioning the man, a second explosion ripped his attention away.

"Is there anyone else inside, hm?" The miner shrugged and shook his head as he attempted to run away before a third explosion would go out—it was only a matter of time. Deidara was in a bind, hurriedly digging into his pockets for his mono-scope. As he placed it on, Sasori had appeared behind him, encased inside his own puppet.

"What do we have here?" His real voice was masked the by the voice of the puppet.

"Explosion, hm. Don't know why though, hm. I'm going to go look for anyone that's trapped, hm."

"…You're going to help them?" was the question Sasori had thrown at him, standing his ground within the hollow of his puppet.

Deidara hadn't—didn't know _how_ to respond. For a few seconds, he too had pondered on his own indecision. What was there to think of? Saving lives should've come natural to anyone, shouldn't it? Why hadn't it to him? To Sasori? It probably came with their line of work—being S-class criminals, and all. In the end, after much internal debate, Deidara had darted off towards the mine entrance.

Sasori furrowed his eyebrows, unable to comprehend the actions of his blue eyed partner. "What're you intending to do?" He had joined him nevertheless, taking his place at his side, scorpion tail flaring about. If they were going to do this, might as well do it together—cheesy as it sounded.

Deidara, gritting his teeth, shook his head. "No idea, hm."

"Blow up the entrance." Sasori had uttered monotonously despite the blaring fire that crept closer towards them—attempting to swallow them into incineration.

"Danna, we're trying to avoid an explosion here. If I blow up the entrance, hm, then the whole thing's gonna collapse."

"Just do it."

"But—"

"Deidara," He had barked out his name in annoyance, his claws digging into the earth below. Clockwork noises were heard as he inclined his head towards Deidara; fury making Deidara cringe.

"Fine." He dug his hand into his pockets in haste, his eyes never leaving his partner. He didn't know what he was up to, but he trusted Sasori with his abilities, at least, and thus followed. He hated being bossed around, but this was no time to be messing around, was it? In seconds, he had sent out several clay spiders to latch themselves up on the wall just as soon as an explosion somewhere nearby rang out. The two, however, remained steady.

Sasori readied himself, suddenly jumping out of his quadruped puppet and emerged clad in brown pants. His doll skin, the screws tightly fastened, reflected the blaze of the flames—about the same shade as his hair. The flames licked at him, as if beckoning his woodwork body to join them. Unfortunately for them, Sasori could care less. Flames were the wood element's basic enemy, true, but there was no way his material was not fireproof—simple matters easily gotten over.

When Sasori revealed himself, it meant he was planning something big. Whatever it was, his instincts to jump out of the way screamed at him. Deidara too had taken up stage. He had molded a second beast, climbing it with ease as it began to take off into the sky. As he found himself suspended feet from the mine entrance, he nodded towards Sasori who released his jutsu at the same time Deidara did. In seconds, explosions rang out after a very loud "KATSU" reverberated throughout the fire torn mine.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, a massive amount of…something could be made out. Deidara descended, landing inches from Sasori who looked as callous and careless as he always looked. As if nothing had happened, Deidara could make out the small entrance that had been made. But what was keeping the mine from collapsing? He focused his scope and found himself beaming—almost cursing Sasori—at the result of their teamwork. _Art in every way_, he thought to himself.

Numerous wooden hands had erupted from the ground to hold the mine up. The entrance had been swallowed up save for a small hole where a single person could fit in. And, if his suspicions were correct, those hands had continued until the end of the mine. "Don't those have poison inside, hm?"

"Yes,"

"Don't release them, danna, hm."

"Not until I feel like it."

Deidara turned to Sasori, a look of annoyance on his face. "I'll be inside. Don't you dare, hm."

Sasori had turned to Deidara as well, taking note of the glare he was giving him. In response to his threat, Sasori climbed into his puppet wordlessly, his demeanor unhinged. "Go and get them," He ordered within his puppet. "Hurry up before I feel like leaving."

A disgruntled groan was heard before Deidara decided to keep his anger to himself for the mean time, and entertain the task at hand. Save lives first. Kill later—ironic statement, really.

**XxxxxxxX**

Hidan, Kakuzu and Nagato left the Haruno household way ahead of the others. Konoha appeared blissfully peaceful. Even Nagato, after a long time, felt calm—it was unnerving. Whenever they decided to dare leave the Haruno household, there was always the usual distraught gossiping or the glares. There was none today.

"Strange," Nagato glanced left and right, and found that people paid little attention to them. Oh, but what was this? Ignorance? Slander? He inwardly scoffed. These people were a band of fools—comical jesters. Ironic as it was, he was the audience and they were the actors except he was on stage and they were at their seats, but he mocked them just the same.

The world they had come to know was just as moronic as it had been. The hypocrisy and fear displayed could only lead to hate. He glanced upwards, staring into the deep sky. Where was the peace she had promised? Where was the world she and Naruto promised? Fallacies?

"Oi, Leader, why'd you decide to come?" Hidan spoke from Nagato's side, a crinkled forehead depicting his lack of comprehension.

"Does it matter?"

"Well it's weird."

"Does my presence unnerve you?"

"What? Me afraid of you? Fuck no!" He snorted, averting his gaze in a show of _manliness_ and _bravery_.

Nagato could only let his gaze settle on Hidan before he silently looked away. Hidan's behavior, his pretend superiority and lack of knowing his place, was nothing new to him or any of them. His cockiness wasn't either.

"Leader sama," Kakuzu kept his gaze on the path they were walking on, "Do you think—"

"If Sakura's words will reign true? That peace will come?"

Green eyes glanced at Nagato, perusing his blank countenance, opting to use silence to prod him to go on.

"No."

Kakuzu's brows furrowed, "Then why are we here?"

Nagato blinked, smoothly halting in his pacing. Kakuzu immediately stopped when their leader did, turning to him.

"Why indeed." Nagato deftly resumed his walk, his form blank as ever. He wouldn't speak any further, that was clear to Kakuzu. So much as he asked any further, he would get no answer. Thus, he simply turned to Hidan who was sighing in boredom and muttering how the people in the village were better off dead.

Kakuzu surveyed his partner, the bloody words violently spewing from his untrained mouth. Such a man raised in the ways of bloodshed, how uncouth albeit expected of him. It seemed that, for the years the two had been partners, profanity was but a mild show of Hidan's macabre ways.

"Leader,"

"What is it, Kakuzu?"

"Do you think Hidan will ever change?" He said this in a whisper, leaning subtly towards their leader so that his words were not within earshot of Hidan.

Nagato paused, opting a few moments of thought to his question. "If he wills it, I suppose so. It's not impossible," Nagato sighed, a sliver of humor hinted in his last statement.

Kakuzu repeated the words in his head, contemplating on the prospect of Hidan changing. It was certainly obvious with the others, changing that is. Kisame was less snarky, Deidara was less snippy, Sasori was less reclusive, Konan was less pensive, their leader less privy, and Itachi was less callous.

But what of he and Hidan? Had they changed as well? Hidan was less into killing, true, but the bloodlust was still there. And Kakuzu was still much of a miser as he always was. Their ideologies had always stayed the same, and there was no evident change in any of them. If it weren't for their leader and his sheer formidable power, and the fact that they were dead-set in the center of Konoha, they could've unleashed chaos as they pleased. There was still the desire to inflict pain and hurt. They hadn't changed.

"Hidan," Kakuzu softly called to his partner, green eyes meeting silver, "Do you feel any different?"

"Hah?" Hidan had a brow raised from the peculiar question. He searched himself, feeling himself for any distortions, "Ugh hell no. I don't feel different. Why, do you?"

Ironic question, "No."

"Then why'd you fucking ask? Is there something on my face?"

He snorted, shaking his head, "You haven't killed anyone in a while. I'm surprised you haven't gone on a killing spree."

"The fuck do you mean? We're in fucking Konoha!"

"That never stopped you before."

"Yeah well killing people in Konoha seems boring. They're all too easy to kill."

Nagato snorted, one that the other two deemed as couldn't have happened because their leader was incapable of such things, "Boring? I don't think the Jashin culture ever had a dogma about not killing because they were easy prey."

"Speaking of Dogma," Kakuzu hinted, "You haven't prayed in a while."

"Why the fuck are you both ganging up on me, eh?" Hidan snarled, his apprehension a clear show of him either unable or unwilling to answer their question.

"Calm down, we were only—Did you hear that?" All three glanced up, eyes fixing on the trail of smoke. It was there and then that they realized their current position. Somehow somewhere in their walk, they had strayed from the path and trailed onto some deserted remote area of Konoha.

Where they stood, they could sniff the light aroma of smoke coming a few miles ahead. Apparently, the noise they had heard came from some sort of explosion. A second explosion rang, causing the three to change their stance. "An accident?"

Nagato shook his head, "no, I sense something coming." His rinnegan eyes sensed four figures running in their direction. Materials for arson were present in their backpacks, but what alerted Nagato was that these were no ordinary men. He could feel their chakra beneath flesh and bone, at the core of their beings. "Enemy Shinobi,"

"OH FUCK YEAH!" Hidan grinned from ear to ear, a menacing aura encasing him, "Can I take them down?"

"Don't kill them," Nagato ordered in a harsh manner, "Konoha would want them alive."

"Fuck it, they're enemies. They should be killed and—"

"For interrogation, Hidan. Now follow orders. Here they come," Nagato stepped back, finding his place behind Kakuzu and Hidan.

"Scared, leader?" Hidan smirked, glancing behind him to see if his theories were correct. However, when had Hidan's cocky brashness ever resulted to anything true?

They heard the rustling of leaves, a cackle of laughter and a sigh of relief when the shinobi from another village emerged. They appeared, obviously proud of their accomplished mission.

"We did it!" One of them announced, a triumphant fist tossed into the air. They were into so much in their victory that they, for a while, failed to notice to see the three Akatsuki shinobi casually standing before them. It was only when Hidan chuckled did the shinobi turn their attention to them.

"AKATSUKI!" One of them shouted, taking a step back, panic evident.

"Here to cause chaos in Konoha? What is this? Some little game?" Nagato spoke from behind the two, his rinnegan already striking fear in their hearts.

"Damnit," one of them said, glancing right and left for any escape routes.

"You can try running, but you won't get anywhere," Kakuzu taunted, venomous green eyeing their desired direction of escape. He scrutinized them, noting the symbol on their head protector. "Cloud, huh? Interesting. What's your mission?"

"We're not telling you anything!" Their probable leader yelled as he motioned for two of them to create some sort of diversion. True enough, an explosion rang out, smoke covered the area, and the four cloud shinobi disappeared.

Nagato sighed, his eyes flawlessly following their movements. He took a step back, "I'm sure the two of you can handle this, can't you?"

Hidan and Kakuzu glanced at Nagato before shifting their gaze to one another. "You're fucking kidding, right? Of course we can!" With that, both disappeared leaving Nagato to quietly stand beneath one of the common trees populating Konoha. He surveyed the area before sinking to sit beneath the shade. He let the smoke clear, silently brooding on the questions posed on him by Kakuzu.

**XxxxxX**

Konohagakure was peaceful. The quiet late afternoon chirping of the insects echoed in his ears, singing tunes of sweet tranquility. He stood, leaning against the veranda railings, his eyes dulled and brooding as they always were. He watched the slow movements of the clouds, depraved mindless drifting to god knows where.

He looked on to the course of his life wondering how things had led from one thing to another. As a child, he had been happy and contented. Then the massacre happened, and it didn't take long for him to spiral downwards. The darkness overtook him, and all logic flew out of his intelligent head. The event was traumatic, that alone he knew, but was he so weak as to fall for the insanity that was to follow?

He had been led his life believing his sense of revenge was his only purpose in life. To kill his brother and avenge his family's name and reputation—those were his goals in life. But was he so immature to not think of what would come afterwards? What happens after?

Worse, Itachi was not the killer he had come to known. He had known all along that he was kept alive so he could kill Itachi—the traitor—but he was not a traitor to anything but himself. He had sacrificed everything, Sasuke understood, for the sake of the Uchihas, village and peace. Most of all, he did it for him, his little brother. So, what was life to be for now? What did he exist for? He felt his mind dim, his sense of rationality falling deeper into the pitfalls of confusion.

Why was he alive?

"Teme," A soft voice feigning cheerfulness called out to him yet he did not stir. His eyes were fixed on the horizon and even as a heavy hand weighed on his shoulder, he did not turn to face him.

Naruto stood beside his friend, his blue eyes examining his best friend's appearance. His grin had long disappeared since he stepped onto the marble floors of the Haruno terrace. When it was obvious that Sasuke was not interested in any chatty conversations, he withdrew his hand leaned, just as Sasuke did, onto the railings save that it was his back against the cold metal. "How're you?"

There was no response. Not even a grunt.

"Sasuke," There was no name-calling, "I understand that you feel guilty right now and—"

"Guilty?" His voice was coarse, something of an attempt to sound angry and as hateful as it usually did. However, there was no hint of that. There was only a slight crack in his voice, a feeble thing, and despair. Guilt indeed.

Naruto pitied Sasuke. The look of...fragility was sprawled on his face and there was no denying it, try as he must. He sighed, averting his gaze because it was too painful to see Sasuke in such a vulnerable state, "And I don't blame you. There's a lot going on right now, 'ttebayo." He chuckled, a failed attempt at breaking the ice and deluding all somberness.

"Leave me alone, Naruto."

"Stop being so angry. I'm only trying to cheer you up!"

"Don't."

Naruto gritted his teeth, feeling that all too familiar bubble of annoyance kick in, "Fine! Stay here and be EMO!" He huffed, catching his breath from the sudden burst of unintelligent speech. His attempts at cheering him up were suddenly blown into bits. Damn it. He was starting to take his leave, one angry step at a time until a sudden burst of determination passed him.

"You know what, not fine!" He threw his arm in gesture of his denial, "I don't know half the things that are going on between you, your brother and Sakura. I don't know who this Madara guy is or how he's connected to the three of you. But," He lowered his eyes, squeezing them shut in anger and naked desperation to get through to Sasuke, "BUT—Everything," He opened his eyes to see that Sasuke had not turned to him. Nevertheless, he kept going on, "ALL of this…this this SELF PITY isn't helping anyone!"

Sasuke kept silent, his head lowered as if in ignorance of his words. When Naruto felt that Sasuke was indeed trying to block him off, he stepped forward and grabbed Sasuke by the collar. "SNAP OUT OF IT!" he yelled.

Naruto shoved Sasuke onto the railing, "Your life has been one big genjutsu! I get it. WE get it!" He stared right into Sasuke's dulled gray eyes, seeing the loss of ability to react any further, "It may have been built on lies, but it wasn't one big lie!"

"…Wasn't it?" He uttered the words weakly, wrapped up in his own apathetic thoughts.

"Sasuke!"

He sunk, sunk down onto his knees without further argument. He had his head lowered to the ground, noting the faint shadow of his reflection on the white marble floors. He had lost strength, pride, and any will to put up any walls. They were crumbling, and he could feel them within the crevices of his soul—had he any left.

There was a long silence after that. Sasuke kept his gaze away from Naruto for what little dignity he had left, and Naruto kept his frustration at bay. "Sasuke," With a sigh, Naruto kneeled before him and shifted his grip from his shirt collar to his shoulders, a gentle expression on his face, "So you got a little…stumped. It's not the end of the world, 'ttebayo."

He stood, walking away from Sasuke and opting to face the sunset. "Besides, it turns out you've still got family left, right? Itachi, he cares about you."

Sasuke stood, grasping the railing to get a good footing. His face was pale, small trickles of perspiration on the sides of his face.

"A lot of people care about you, but ever since we were little you've always pushed us away. You always acted like you carried the weight of the world. Well I'm here to tell you that you don't!" Naruto turned and stared into his back, his proud frame of an Uchiha torn away until it was only the boy named Sasuke remained, "Bad things happened in the past, you did bad things because of them and it's hard to keep living. But guess what? You're just like everyone. Everybody's got their own problems. I've got my own. Sakura chan's got hers. Even your brother. But we're all alive. We keep living no matter what, Sasuke."

Sasuke hadn't said a word, and he continued to keep his mouth shut.

"We fall. We lose our way. But that doesn't stop us. We get up and we keep walking." Naruto beamed, his lips widening into that ever cheeky grin. The afternoon sun, sinking quietly in the horizon, blasted a brilliant glow of orange, showering Sasuke and Naruto the glow of a new beginning. Naruto walked towards Sasuke, grabbing his hand and placing it over his shoulder so as to help him stand. "And if you feel like you can't stand, don't worry. We're here to help you get on your feet again." He chuckled, rubbing his nose with his free hand in an act of haughty victory over Sasuke.

His mind was reeling from the emotional rollercoaster. He didn't know what to feel or what to think. Guilt? Self loathing? Was that it? Did he mean to say that years of hate were actually years of relentless guilt? Years of despair were years of him hating himself? He was emotionally and cognitively confused, and he could only stare at Naruto's stupid, idiotic face as the blonde pulled him up to his feet.

He tried denying Naruto, attempted to create an impenetrable wall of disbelief. But it was too late. The words had hit him hard. He had to admit, he was right. Why had he taken so long to see it? Or maybe he had, but he had simply denied it. Why? Pride? Attention? Redemption? He didn't know. All he knew now was that somehow, in his dumb way, Naruto had made sense—it shamed him to admit it.

Sasuke glared at Naruto, grunting as he looked away from Naruto who gave him the infamous 'nice guy' pose. Even as Naruto began teasing him, Sasuke could only rebuild his prideful walls by refusing to say anything other than his usual, "dumbass" or "Dobe" to which forced Naruto to sink back to his idiotic ways once again.

That was until both were forced to look onto the distance as a booming sound resounded throughout the whole of Konoha. "Oi, what was that?" Naruto was the first to run towards the railing, his body leaning forward and his eyes squinted to better see through the blazing sunset.

"Explosion?" Sasuke hadn't moved, simply kept his gaze in the direction of the trail of smoke.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura, from the end of the hallway, came dashing with Kisame not far behind her. "Did you two hear that?"

Suddenly, another explosion rang, "That's the mine!" Sakura had rushed to the railings, sideglancing at Naruto wondering what they would do. "We should go check it out," She suggested, earning a grin and a nod from Naruto. She then turned to Sasuke who had a pokerface on. In response, he simply nodded to Sakura, acting like he could care less.

**XxxxxX**

The swings squeaked their plea, metal rubbing harshly against rusted metal. The park was abandoned save for the lone figure that sat languidly on the park swings. A slender hand grasped the chains; she pushed against the sand, gently rocking herself back and forth. Her blue hair was slightly unkept. They were tied messily into a small bun with a delicate white flower pinning it up delicately yet elegantly. Even the small tresses of hair that managed to pull loose only added artistic class to her small, framed face.

Konan sat contemplating on aftermath of their truce, the very encounter that pivoted them to where the Akatsuki stood. It was a brash and most likely not so well thought out plan. To ally with the most dangerous set of criminals on the face of the planet? Suicidal. It was no wonder that the village was uneasy with the current events. They, the entire village, would soon be branded as traitors to the world—an ally to an evil organization.

"Shhh look at her clothes! My daddy said don't go near anyone with those red clouds on 'em." Konan turned around, her amber eyes taking in the small figure of a boy hiding behind the make-shift tunnel of a pipe. Next to him, her pig tails poking out from the side, a teary little girl was crouched behind him. Both little children kept their distance and only stared at her as if she were some wild animal.

Hiding the ghost of a smile on her face, she turned her back on the children and fumbled with some pieces of paper she always had in her cloak pocket. She could feel the two children lingering about, asking themselves on the actual danger of the situation and what she was doing. When she felt their stare was beginning to bore through her back, one she had to hold herself back from bursting into laughter, she pulled out what she had accomplished: a paper rose complete with a stem, and a paper kunai.

She extended her hands, her paper origamis centered in the palm of her hand. She gave them a small smile, one that held enough warmth without overdoing it. They approached her, turning the tables on who among them were the wild animals. When the two children found it safe and took the trinkets in her hands, they beamed her a wide grin. "WOW!" The boy exclaimed in amazement, "THIS IS COOL!"

"Pretty," The shy girl muttered behind the boy's back. She had a small blush on her cheeks, her limbs pulled close towards her body as if she were a fragile little thing. She held the rose between her hands, gazing upon it with a gleam in her eyes. Fascinated as they were, Konan watched them with kind eyes. "What're your names?"

The two perked up, fearful for a moment, before whispering their names to the 'blue haired lady with red clouds'. "Nice to meet you Takeru and Hana." She grinned, a motherly act that they responded with wide smiles. They shared a moment of warm silence. The two children were fixated on their presents and Konan admired the purity that they held within such tiny bodies. She cautiously extended her hand, contemplating on the prospect that they be scared and run away. But who could blame them? She was a killer. She served the God of their new world as his right hand angel. She served the destruction of the world once upon a time.

Both children lifted their hands, stunned at her gesture, but they did not move. They considered running away, that was stricken on their face, but they stayed. Konan felt the brush of their hair from the top of their heads, could almost feel the warmth from their petite yet unknowing forms. Such innocent happiness, she once knew how that felt, the childhood struggle for a sliver of simply being 'happy'.

Now the world was ridden with the menace of what once was and all that is. When one is born, one is tossed into the hell-hole that is life. We are born with the history of our past. The sins of our predecessors, the sins of our creation, the sins of the entire humanity, is locked into our being from our very conception. We are rotten from the beginning. We are born sullen and dirty. And, as we live, we only aggregate more sins until we die some pitiful, violent death. The cleanliness of the soul doesn't exist. Not in her, not in these children, and certainly not in the children to be. They all had their history of sins.

She recoiled her hand. Pulling away from the two to stand and whip around. An explanation nearby made the ground shake, reverberated and whipped through the air. "NO!" The boy yelled, his arm protecting his eyes, "That's in papa's direction!" He darted off, his little sister screaming for him not to go.

"Hana," Konan gently yet briskly called out, "Where is your papa located?"

She had broken down into tears, "M-mines. Papa works in the mines." With that said, Konan disappeared into a flutter of paper and darted onto the sky with paper wings. Hana, caught unaware, found herself gaping at the angelic figure of the woman who was supposedly called a devil.

**XxxxxX**

Deidara felt his throat burn and his eyes water from the smoke. He winced as he attempted to properly mount his flying creature as quickly as he could lest he and the injured would suffer the consequences. The ground shook, pebbles falling from the ceiling ominously,"Damn it, hm." He pushed himself up from the ground with a sudden burst of energy and threw the unconscious miners onto his flying creature before taking off.

Sasori perked, turning his head when he saw the familiar figure of Deidara. When he landed, he grabbed onto the miners and pulled them off of the beast in one swift, uncaring, motion. One of the miners stirred from the brisk movement. He sat up, feeling his head with his palm. "Wh…I…" He jolted upon seeing the red cloud print. He shuffled back, loosing his balance and falling backward. Sasori couldn't help but grunt.

"PAPA!" A young boy suddenly appeared from the smoke, tears resting on the corners of his eyes just tempting to fall. He darted towards the frightened man, swinging his arms around his father's torso. "Papa!" The man, on instinct, held on to his son before the realization dawned on him. He had been saved by the Akatsuki. He glanced at Deidara and then towards Sasori with a look of gratitude. He grinned, and would've stood to bow when Deidara suddenly darted forward. "WATCH OUT! BEHIND YOU!"

Deidara rushed forward, throwing himself at the parent and child as another explosion engulfed them in a fury of flames. "OI GAKI!" Sasori twitched forward, swinging his tail around to wave the smoke around. "Damn it." He surged forward to see how they were when he felt himself sighing from relief. "you…" He let his tail rest. "Couldn't resist an entrance, could you?"

"K-Konan!" Deidara lifted his head, his two arms still wrapped protectively around the stunned father and child. The boy, Takeru, had a sparkle in his eyes as he once again came to face to face with that angel in the park. "A-Angel!" He managed to utter.

"Glory isn't something I strive for," Konan, wings stretched to protect them, pulled back to let her wings dissipate into a fury of tiny leaflets. "Is everyone alright?"

"Y-yes," The father managed to mumble in awe. He blinked, glancing from one Akatsuki to another. Whether he was in disbelief or confusion or both didn't bother the three who stood overlooking the ruble of the mine.

"Was this an accident?" Konan inspected the area, noting for any signs of the source of the explosion.

"N-no," The managed to say, "These mines were a danger zone. So—"

"Someone did this, hm."

"But who?" Sasori inched forward.

A rustle of bushes, "I think you'll be happy to know that the culprits have been found." Konan swung around, meeting that familiar pair of purple rinnegan. "Leader sama."

Hidan and Kakuzu followed behind, pulling roughly on a slightly blood stained rope. They trudged through the bushes, blood smeared on their exposed skin.

"What the hell happened to you guys, hm?"

"Plenty more action than what you went through blondie," Hidan sneered, pulling the group of captured shinobi with one powerful and merciless tug of the rope. The captive shinobi fell forward with grunts and moans of pain. "Lookie what we have here. A bunch of fucking shinobi from a bunch of different nations. They caused the explosions."

"Different nations?" Konan scrutinized the group, noticing the variety of symbols on their head protectors. "That's—"

"Is everyone okay?" Sakura appeared from the bushes, Naruto, Kisame and Sasuke appearing a mere milliseconds afterwards. She rushed forward, on instinct releasing healing chakra on the injured miners. "What happened?" She had her back towards the others, her full attention directed at the unconscious miners.

"Haruno san," The miner attempted to stand, stumbling when the exhaustion was finally realized.

Sakura caught him in time, Deidara grasping the man by the arm as a support. "Don't try to move so much. Are you alright? Nothing broken?"

Stuttering and still in shock, the man shook his head to which Sakura nodded to and continued with her work. When the superficial wounds were healed and internal hemorrhage was prevented, she stood "nii chan," she asked again, "what happened?"

"Well, there was an explosion, hm, so me and Sasori-dana decided to check it out, hm. I couldn't figure out though what the cause was, hm, until—"

"Until we brought these mother fuckers here." Hidan gestured his head towards the unconscious shinobi on the ground.

"These are…?"

"Enemy shinobi." Sasuke stood forward, stooped down to level with the shinobi's eyes.

Sakura flinched, grasping his sleeve from the bad gut feeling that suddenly spurred a churning in her gut, "Sasuke kun you—"

"Don't you want to find out who's really behind this and why they're doing this?" He eyed her, Sharingan already activated, "It could be _him_ you know?"

Sakura swallowed, heart beating hard against her chest walls. "that…"

"Uchiha, leave the interrogation to us." A voice boomed suddenly as a tall figure appeared from the bushes. He was followed by several others. "Konoha is thankful for your assistance, Akatsuki." The scar on his face revealed itself gradually as he approached the captives.

"NOW you're grateful," Deidara scowled at the infamous Ibiki and the Anbu, "Wasn't it, hm, Konoha who detested us?"

Ibiki glanced at Deidara once before wordlessly signaling for the anbu to pick up the shinobi and disappear for interrogation. When he had finished his job, he nodded towards Sakura and Naruto before walking away.

Deidara flared, the damn guy dare ignore him? He marched forward, grabbing the guy by the shoulders in a sudden burst of rage. Before Sakura and Naruto could stop him, Deidara had shoved the guy, despite how much Ibiki towered over Deidara, to face him. "OI! You asshole! I was talking to—"

He was stopped when a heavy hand fell on Deidara's shoulders. He could feel the chills down his spine as a rather frustrated Nagato pulled him away. "Don't do something stupid Deidara."

"B-but L-leader sama, hm, he—"

"Deidara."

He winced, grunting out of frustration and taking a step backward.

Ibiki eyed Nagato before nodding in 'gratitude'. He left moments after that.

"What a stale guy," Kakuzu noted from the background.

"He's always been like that, ne Sakura chan?" Naruto sheepishly grinned despite the sweatdrops that had formed when Deidara suddenly confronted Ibiki like that.

Sakura chuckled in agreement despite the awkward mood in the aftermath, "Aa. Even during our chuunin exam—" She stopped herself, briefly glancing at a callous Sasuke who showed no change of emotion even after mentioning a touchy subject.

"Well anyway," She had to change the subject as quickly as she could, "Thank you for taking down those rogue shinobi"

Naruto nodded gave him the thumbs up, "Mm! Konoha owes you guys one!"

"No," Nagato had his eyes on the still flaming mines, "I'm afraid this may only add more fuel into the fire."

"And those guys weren't fucking rogue shinobi either, pinky." Hidan kept his scythe lazily hanging over his shoulders, "Those were shinobi from different nations."

Sakura's brows arched downwards, her mind going through countless scenarios that could unravel after this encounter. She didn't like them.

**XxxxX**

Why did the weather appear so dreary? Why was it raining at a time like this? Nothing but the sound of the monotonous rhythmic beeping of the ECG and the pitter patter of the rain outside resounded in the room. She ogled the tubes, eyes narrowing in disgust from time to time. She was used to the hospital set up, the oxygen tanks, the monitors, the IV lines, but not the person she loved bound in them—not Itachi strapped onto them, and the sight of that sent chills down her spine.

"oi, Sakura, it's late. Go home. You too Sasuke," The latter lifted his head briefly to shake it adamantly. The former, took the time to glance at the clock before she too refused the Hokage's order.

Tsunade sighed, hooking a hand on one of her hips to show her disapproval. "look you two, I only let you two stay in here because—"

"Shishou, please." It was a plea, a desperate refuse to leave. With an exasperated sigh, the Hokage finally left them alone with a soft shutting of the door. She knew there was no use convincing them—try as she could.

Sasuke let out a silent sigh as he reclined backwards onto the hospital room couch. Sakura sat inches away from him, a worried stare burning holes through the ECG and Vital signs monitor.

The pinkette glanced at him from the side, noting the soft wrinkles on his face. "Sasuke kun," she whispered his name cautiously albeit with a hint of frustration. He didn't say anything. Slowly, she felt her temper rise. His emotional binges were slowly starting to irritate her. She and Naruto had just about run out of patience with him. But she stood firm.

"Let it out." Her green eyes studied his change of emotion—the denial, the bewilderment, the anger, the guilt. "It wasn't your fault."

"Are you kidding me? He's in that bed because of me I—"

"He had it coming."

His face lit up, glancing with a brow raised. "What?"

"Itachi, he knew this would happen. If I didn't know better, it seemed like he wanted this to happen." She was turned away from him, distant eyes staring at the man in the patient bed.

"To drive me insane with all this…hatred?" His fists were clenched, brows furrowing in anxious frustration.

"To drive you to kill him." A sarcastic chuckle escaped her lips, "As if he had planned everything so in the end, he would die by your hand."

Itachi's words resounded in his head, jarring the understanding that was slowly surfacing:

"…_Foolish little brother…if you want to kill me, Hate me. Detest me. Run, run away and live in an unsightly way."_

"Like he was punishing himself," Sakura said in a bare whisper, "For all the things he had done."

"_I know that I've done a lot of…inhumane things. And I regret most of what I did."_

"You were his punishment, his redemption—his self-vengeance"

"_I don't deserve anything, little brother. So, do as you wish with me. Accomplish the task I gave you years ago: an avenger. Go on. Take your revenge."_

He shut his eyes, averting his stare from his bedridden brother.

"You two are more alike than you think. The guilt you feel is normal, but everything that's happened wasn't your fault." Sakura grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders firmly, "Everything you feel, all the things that drive you to do all of this—it isn't hatred. It isn't sadness or despair. It's—"

"Guilt." Sasuke lowered his head, "The dumbass said so earlier today."

She looked away, a serene smile gracing her features. "Oh Thank kami!" She stood and lightly slapped his head from behind, "Are you really so emotionally scarred that it takes you this long to admit _that_?" She chuckled, "I'm sick of dealing with you like this, Sasuke kun." She paced back and forth, slowly yet tensely. "You two are so alike it's infuriating!" She let out a groan, "Guilt this, innocent that, revenge here, worth there—it doesn't matter! Damnit!" She huffed, uncurling her tightened fists, before grinning at the both of them.

"The past is the past, put it behind you. What's done's been done and the only thing anybody can do is move forward, you hear me?" When Sasuke sat there dumbfounded she moved towards Itachi and slammed the side of his bed with enough control to keep it from breaking, "Itachi! You hear me! So wake up!" She leaned over and kissed the side of his face, gently brushing the other side with her hand. Lowering her head, she nuzzled the crook of his neck with her extensive forehead, her knees falling onto the ground. She was emotionally drained, and from all the repeated consoling, the worrying, the panic, she was, quite simply, exhausted.

It had taken a hell lot of time for Sasuke to get over whatever issues he had, but the main thing was that he did. Sakura could take no more of his emotional ranting or brooding. There was so much more to be done with Itachi bedridden, the Akatsuki trying to fit into society once again, and, to top it all off, an impending crisis with the international community was brewing.

"Okaa san, otousan, Akane 'ba-san, give me strength," She whispered in a prayer.

Then suddenly, the unimaginable happened. "Itachi…?"

**XxxxxxX**

**-And there you have it. As always thank you for your reviews and support! Please don't forget to review so I may know what I can do to improve! Love y'all! =) **

**-It was drawn out, I know, but I believed that for Sasuke, screwed up as he can be, he needs a shiz load of time and hammering to get over his issues. We saw him slightly get over it upon his arrival back in Konoha and his attitude in "Promise", but that isn't enough to have him get over it. Nobody gets over that kind of trauma so easily. Plus, with Itachi just around the corner, it seems inevitable that he'd throw a punch or two around. I wanted Sasuke to get into terms with his inner guilt before moving on to any other emotions. However, I did find the pacing to be slower than I wanted it to be (despite deleting and retyping everything over and over). I'm just hoping it won't happen again in future stories. Anyway, drabble ended, til next time :D **

**-"Don't cry, Sasuke. Your big brother is here to protect you, no matter what happens." -Itachi Uchiha**


	29. Chapter 24: Analeptic

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do, however, own my OC's such as Akane, Saku, Arata, and the like. **

**-In commemoration of 50 followers on Tumblr and 400+ reviews on this story, I've decided to update Tabula Rasa faster than expected. **

**-Thank you so much for the feedback and support! :D know it's been a really long time, SO for the benefit of old readers who want a refresher: (quite long)**

_**Itachi Uchiha finds young Sakura Haruno at the night of his clan's massacre. With that, he takes her and together joins the Akatsuki although Sakura is unaware of the group's job description. Sakura grows up with the Akatsuki as her niisans until one day, as Hidan and Kakuzu are left to baby sit her, Konoha shinobi attack the Konoha base. Sakura gets caught in the ramble and is taken to Konoha. There, she lives her life as the series showed: Meeting her teammates and friends with the exception of her constantly thinking of her niisans. The 'fast forward' goes on 'play' when Sasuke returns to Konoha after killing Orochimaru. There Sakura tries to get her beloved Sasuke to recover from his pains. However, things aren't as resolved as they are assigned to deal with the Akatsuki—a dangerous S-class criminal group. After several missed attempts, they finally meet the Akatsuki to have Sakura get the biggest shock of her life! The Akatsuki turn out to be her beloved nii sans! To save her brothers, she concocts a pact between Konoha and the Akatsuki—asking them to live with her in Konoha in order to change their ways. Reluctantly, they agree. As they begin their new life in Konoha (With the citizens still outraged at the idea), several mishaps such as the death of Sakura's aunt and the unveiling of several hidden truths such as Itachi's back story on the clan killing, Akane's connection to several conspiracies, and the truth of Sakura's family, lead to the uncovering of a new enemy: Madara Uchiha. As the threat of Madara Uchiha slowly becomes real to Sakura and the gang, Sasuke breaks down and fights Itachi, putting Itachi into a coma. Riddled with guilt, Sasuke begins struggling with his inner anger. After several pep-talks, he finally manages to acknowledge his feelings. However, as one problem is solved, another dilemma is brewing outside of Konoha with several Shinobi from different nations setting the Konoha mine on fire. Is this a declaration of war? Does this have something to do with Madara Uchiha? And will Itachi ever wake up from his coma? And what about this disease that Tsunade-hime mentioned? **_

**-Because of recent FF changes, the explicit parts have been edited out of this chapter and been moved elsewhere and is covered by this warning: **

_**[Because of the nature of the content within the next few lines, this has been censored. Please refer to the cut out of this chapter.]**_

**To see the part that's been cut out of the chapter please refer to the links displayed in my profile page. It's inconvenient, I know, but it's to avoid being purged out of **

**XxxxxxxxxX**

**Chapter 24**

**~Analeptic~**

"Itachi…?"

**XxxxxxX **

There was nothing but the darkness around him. He felt himself move, stir from his sleep, but he could not see anything. His felt his eyelids open and shut, but still the darkness surrounded him.

He grinned in the dark, his hands roughing up his own hair. "I see. Have I gone blind? But I hear nothing; I must be dead, and this must be hell."

"Poetic as always," He turned towards the source of the voice. Within the darkness, he saw a small glimmer of light. "Shisui," He muttered. He spied the familiar black unkept hair and definitive eyelashes. He was just as he remembered him except this Shisui had both his eyes relative to his last memory where he lacked both, his last memory of Shisui. "…Why? Have you come to fetch my soul?"

Shisui grinned, "No, I'm here to keep you company."

Itachi frowned, quirking his brow inquisitively, "I hardly think company is what I need now."

"Are you kidding me? I think company's EXACTLY what you need now." Shisui stood before him and grasped his right shoulder, his touch more real than anything. "Come, brother, let's catch up on the old times."

**XxxxxX**

From the shadows, Shisui was eluded in a strange yet faint glow; his grin plastered on his face as if he were alive. They sat across one another, Itachi seeing nothing but Shisui. He was silent. After relaying everything that was and is, he fell into a silent stupor.

"You've lived an exciting life, Itachi." He chuckled, one that was responded with a grunt. "You've grown cold and…old. Are you really in your 20's?" He smirked but again was rewarded with a simple grunt. "But really, with everything that's happened, there's something bothering you isn't there? It's about the guilt you feel, isn't it?"

Itachi did not speak. How did catching up lead to this? He simply lowered his gaze into the nothingness in an attempt to avoid the question.

"Oh come on Itachi. You're my best friend. I know you like I know the back of my hand. Something's bothering you, and I have an inkling I know what it is. It's regret."

"Regret?"

"Mhm. Not guilt, but regret."

This statement stunned him. How was regret any different from guilt? Weren't they the same? "Is regret any different from guilt when my guilt makes me regret? Are they not one and the same?"

"Wrong!" Shisui pointed a corrective finger at him, "Do you know why? Because you aren't guilty at all."

"You're making no sense, Shisui. Do the dead often riddle the living?"

"Please, with the way things look, I'm more alive than you are."

Itachi scoffed, finding no reason to oppose him. He was right there, at least.

"I'm saying what you're feeling isn't guilt because, brother, if you had gone back in time—you'd do it again."

"If there was a forbidden technique—"

"Ah but there is. Isn't there?" Shisui quirked a brow at him, as if nudging him to forgo something.

"Izanagi? That technique isn't so powerful as to achieve that."

"But it has the power to make illusion a reality for the briefest of moments—to have _want_ turn into _what is_." Shisui leaned back gazing upwards into, from Itachi's eyes, was nothing but darkness. "Aren't the stars beautiful tonight?"

Itachi squinted his eyes but saw nothing. "Stars?"

Shisui turned his gaze towards Itachi. "If you believe that what you see above you are stars, then you will see the stars."

He turned away from the sky, refusing to play along with Shisui's mind games, "Enough. I know what you're trying to say. I sinned because I believe I sinned—is that it?"

Shisui chuckled, "They didn't call you the genius of our clan for nothing." He shrugged, extending his arm across and patting his friend on the shoulder.

"But that way of thinking—that is lying to yourself, is it not? Deviating from the truth, creating a false reality and—"

"AH but how do you know what reality is? How are you so sure that the life you've lived is reality? Or if that life is even yours to begin with? Or if the truth you know is indeed your truth?" Shisui's face grew serious, "You want reality? Fine, I'll give you the 'reality' you so love."

He stood and tossed his hand to the side as if pushing something away. And, as if a mist of clouds had lifted, what appeared through the darkness were corpses of the entire Uchiha clan and his parents—bloodied, cold, and utterly dead. On top of the pile sat Uchiha Sasuke, his brother, clutching his head as if in a state of madness. He too was bloodied, but he was alive—alive like the vilest of creatures. However, that wasn't the end of it. From the smallest corner of the darkness stood Sakura, tears running down her face, but she was so far away, she appeared like a glimmer of light that was fading.

"Shisui, what on ear—SHISUI!" He pulled back, for the man before him was not Shisui. At least, it did not appear like him. This man was bloodied, both his eyes gauged out and was covered in blood from head to toe. His mouth opened to speak, "This is the reality you live with. We're all dead, and it's all because of you. You shouldered the burden but you couldn't handle it and in the end this is what happened. Your precious Sakura is an unattainable light. You're a wretch after all. Piece of scum like you—you don't deserve her."

He took a step closer. Itachi stepped back, fear gripping his heart. Was this a genjutsu? Yes, that's what it probably was: some sort of Genjutsu. He tried activating his Sharingan, for as an Uchiha he was the master of illusions, but why? Why wasn't the image before him disappearing? This wasn't a genjutsu? Was this a Nightmare? Or was this indeed hell?

Shisui let out a dark rumble of laughter, "Oh yes. You are indeed dead, and this is hell." He crept closer, bloodied hands reaching out to touch his face, "You'll be forced to see this for eternity, Itachi. After all, it is what you want isn't it? This is your reality. This is the reality you so dearly hold on to."

Itachi shut his eyes and wacked away the creature's hand, "NO!"

"Then what do you want?" He opened his eyes and they were back where they began. Shisui looked as alive as ever and sat across him with a grin. He looked right and left. There were no corpses. No monstrous Sasuke. No fading Sakura. Just Shisui as he remembered him. "Perhaps this is what you wanted?" Itachi felt an ominous feeling and immediately attempted to stop Shisui, but before he could do anything, Shisui had waved his hand and in the blink of an eye the scenery changed.

He stood inside the Uchiha Mansion; his room to be exact. Everything looked the way he remembered it to be. "Could it be…?" In a state of reverie, he pulled open his door to see the rest of his home. The kitchen, the hallways, the living room, it was exactly as he remembered it. "Itachi!" He knew that voice. That sweet voice that he loved and had missed; that warm voice of his mother beckoned for him to come outside. He would've rushed outside to see his mother, had he remembered the gruesome truth.

Was the person he would meet really his mother? What if it had been one of hell's deceptions? He sighed, gathering whatever courage he could find. With that, he slid the door open ready to accept hell. But what he saw was not hell. His mother stood outside, hanging the sheets. She poked her head through one of the sheets and grinned at him, "Itachi, where've you been? Your father's gone on a mission, and Sasuke was summoned to the Godaime's office. I think Hatake-san had to do extra training with Sasuke"

He was speechless, his mouth hanging in utter shock. "Uh—'kaa san."

"Yes?" Mikoto raised a brow at him. "What's wrong?" With a grin, she approached him and touched the top of his head as if seeing if he had a fever, "I know what it is. You're worried about your proposal tomorrow, yes? Don't worry, I'm sure Sakura chan will say yes. After all, how can she turn down a splendid man like my little boy?" She chuckled, wrapping her arms around Itachi's head. Itachi stiffened, basking in the feel of his mother's arms around him. His mother. How he had missed her so. "My little boy isn't little anymore." She pulled away, wiping the small tears that had formed in her eyes.

"Mother," he muttered, debating with himself whether any of this was real or not. Apparently, he was going to be engaged to Sakura and his parents were alive and well. Konoha still stood and everything was…peaceful. On an urge, he reached out to touch his mother.

But she faded even before he had reached her. "That was what you wanted, was it not?"

Again, he sat across Shisui, but he was no longer as surprised or shaken up as he was previously. He stared at Shisui, a sense of overwhelming sadness within him.

"I'll say it again. Truth of the matter is, Itachi, you regret. You are not guilty. You don't feel guilt."

"I don't understand." He was growing cross with every roundabout game Shisui threw at him.

"Guilt is when you did something that you knew was wrong—"

"BUT I _DID_ do something that was wrong! I killed OUR family! That first vision you showed me. THAT is what I did, Shisui!" Itachi argued in a bare scream.

"But at the time, you believed you were doing the right thing."

"But was I? Was I doing the right thing?"

"Killing is never a good thing to do, Itachi, but sometimes it's inevitable." Shisui cast his eyes downwards, he too had killed once upon a time.

Itachi stayed his tongue, listening to every word his ghost of a friend was saying.

"You feel regret, because…" He paused "because _now_ you realize that things could've been done differently. An alternative path was there, but you were blinded momentarily that you lost sight of it. But that can be forgiven."

"…Can it? I could've done so many things, but I did not. Can short-sightedness be forgiven?"

Shisui smiled, a grin that held so much meaning, it surprised Itachi. "Itachi, is your pride so big that you refuse to admit that you aren't perfect? You're human, Itachi. We make mistakes. If you were placed in the same situation as you had back then, you would've done it again, I'm sure. That's because you believed in justice, and you loved your family and the village. Had you spared the Uchihas, war would've stricken our village and more death would've come." He stood from his seat, "I'm not saying what you did was right, but I'm saying that at that time, you did the right thing."

"But Shisui, I could've spoken with father. I could've told him to stop anything he was attempting to do and—"

"Yes Itachi, you could have, but you had thought of that, didn't you? You had so many options but crossed each one of them out until the only option you had left was to forcefully end the clan. Remember what I taught you? Being selfless and nameless, and silently working for the protection of the village—no—the greater good is what being a True Shinobi means. But you weren't just a True Shinobi, Itachi. You were much, much more than that. You were a True Man, and the love that flows within you and the goodness of your heart will bring you happiness. You told yourself you had forgiven yourself, didn't you? Are you willing to make the same mistake and break promises all over again?" Shisui had meant the decision he had made not too long ago.

"Shisui I—"

"After what you did, there was hell to pay, but that was simply the price of sin. However, the gravity of sin can always be made right as long as you're sincere about it. Repentance, dear brother, and an open heart can go a long way. I'm sure all these years you've tried your best to make right what you had done years ago, did you not? And you did this with every shred of regret you had. I think it's about time you learn to forgive yourself. The wounds you inflicted on others will heal with Time, understanding, and good will. The people you've wronged can forgive you an infinite number of times, but if you never forgive yourself then nothing will change." Shisui pointed behind Itachi, a huge grin on his face. "Look, Mikoto-san and Fugaku-san have something to say."

Itachi looked in the direction he was pointing to see two glowing figures of light behind him. He turned back towards Shisui but found that he had disappeared. "Shisui…I'm sorry. Thank you for everything."

**XxxxxX**

His father was silent. His face was as stern as he remembered it. "Otou-san" he lowered his head in habit, "I don't know if you're real but…please forgive me."

"No," Was the blunt reply of his father. Itachi's head shot up. He could see the strictness in his countenance and knew what his answer was. In dejection, Itachi lowered his head.

"Please forgive _me_, son." Itachi piqued, meeting his father's despairing eyes. Was this really his father? Prideful Fugaku Uchiha? No! It couldn't be! Could it? "I was so set on bringing honor to the Uchiha clan that…that I lost sight of where I was heading to. If you hadn't stopped the clan, who knows how low the Uchiha honor would've fallen. And Sasuke—" Fugaku glanced at his wife whose expression had changed to one of sadness, "It was the both of you who paid for my mistakes." He reached out almost as if to hug his son, but stopped midway and instead grasped Itachi's shoulders.

"Itachi, I can never make up for the things I'd done. To Sasuke and to you—especially you. Your honor, your future, gone because of what I'd ignited. If I could turn the clocks back, if I could—" He rambled aimlessly on.

Itachi listened to his father's drabble. He watched his father's fragile form, pity bubbling up in his gut. His father who was so strong and determined in real life had fallen so much in death. When Fugaku fell to his knees, Itachi followed suit and grasped his father into an embrace. "No father, if I had faced you back then, perhaps things would've ended differently." He held his father and cradled him like a child. He would've cried, but he kept his tears in his heart.

Fugaku shook his head, "What happened was inevitable. Perhaps even…fate." He contradicted himself, "Do you remember what I said on that night?"

Itachi lowered his gaze, turning his head away from his trembling father who tried to put up a prideful front—the front he always had, "I was proud of you. I still am. You chose that path, and that path is something you shouldn't regret. It was I who sent you down that path—_that_ I deeply regret."

He was still, listening to the thumping heart of his father. Or was it his? "Otou san, please, I don't blame you. I never did. You were simply doing what you thought was best—" Then the realization struck him. Were these words really meant for his father? Or towards himself?

Fugaku's head dropped, burying his face into Itachi's shoulder. "You truly are…such a gentle child." Was all his father muttered before fading away. That phrase again? Itachi had his eyes wide open, seeing his father fade with the most peculiar expression. A smile. When had his father smiled like that? He remembered the stern training and the rough pressure given to him by the hard-faced man that was his father. He had to admit there was a time when he felt so much anger towards his father. But now, as he saw what could've been his father's soul fade with a rare smile he had never seen, he felt nothing but sadness and an immeasurable sense of calm.

Why had it taken this long for them to reconcile? So much damage was inflicted, and it had taken death and time to mend wounds.

Moments after his father had faded, his mother stepped forward. His mother. His beloved mother.

"Itachi, my boy, I'm glad you're doing okay." Mikoto wound her arms around Itachi much like she did in the alternative reality Shisui gave him. "Okaa-san, I'm sorry, I'm still not sure if father or you are real. Perhaps this is all a genjutsu—or death—I don't know."

Mikoto smiled, the brightness of her smile sent shivers down his spine. She was so real—even the warmth of her smile "Well you just believe what you want to believe, dear. Just as long as you listen." She caressed his face whilst her eyes stared into his. _Okaa san…_

"Itachi," She kept her grin on, "Thank you for taking care of Sasuke. You were always his big brother. Please continue to take care of Sasuke. But, take care of yourself too, alright? You deserve happiness too. Both of you do."

Then she placed her hands on her hips, and a frown appeared on her face, "AND make sure to properly introduce this Sakura girl that you and your brother have been fighting over."

When she saw Itachi taken aback, her grin returned, "She seems like a sweet girl. Don't make her cry, alright? A real man wouldn't make a girl cry! Remember that!" She giggled as Itachi's face softened.

Mikoto's eyes grew weary as did her stature, "You'll have to forgive your mother. I should've stopped your father when I had the chance. I wasn't a good moth—"

"Don't say that, okaa san. You were _our_ mother. You did all that you could." Itachi was quick to reply, utterly rejecting the idea of his mother having wronged.

Mikoto smiled and wound her arms around her son all over again. "You've grown so much. My big boy. You have such a big heart. But…" She pulled away, "Why is it so easy for you to forgive others but not yourself?" She pressed her palm against his chest, "I told you back then didn't I?" Memories of that night once again flooded his mind, "We understood your actions. But it seems you've been blaming yourself for it all these years. Nothing pains me more than to see you hurting yourself, Itachi."

She stood on her tip toes and kissed the top of Itachi's forehead. "Let go, son. Let go and find happiness. You have more years ahead of you. Don't waste it by blaming yourself. If you're truly sorry, live a good life."

In an act of playfulness, she pressed both her hands against Itachi's cheeks, "And one more way to repent is to give me grandchildren! Do that and your okaa san will forgive you, okay? Raise them well and protect them. Don't make the same mistakes the people before you made. Build a better future. It's what your father wanted for all of us. Now, I think it's time for me to go. Your father's telling me I'm taking too long," She chuckled, looking up as she did so.

"Know that your father and I love you and Sasuke equally. Be happy, Itachi—the both of you. We will always be watching over you." And with that, she began fading just as her father did, her kind smile bearing weight on his chest.

Itachi's emotional wall was crumbling. When he saw his mother's smiling face fade away, he began attempting to grasp her hands as if to stop her. "Okaa san!" And as he lunged to grab her, she faded into nothingness. And as he fell, he thought he would've landed on the floor, but he didn't. Instead, the floor beneath broke just as he almost touched it.

And thus, he fell. "…Sakura!" Was all he could scream.

**XxxxxX**

He could hear the faded sounds of a high pitched, rhythmic sound somewhere. He slowly felt his body, as if his soul were slowly slipping into each cell of his body—like gloves fitting perfectly into his hands. He felt cold and wet. He could feel beads of water drip down his entire body. Was that sweat? Was he sweating? He willed his eyes to open, but could only muster a slight twitch. He tried to move his hands, but again only a twitch was activated.

Then he heard it.

"Itachi…?" That voice. That sweet voice that he longed to hear. _Damnit open!_ He mentally screamed for his eyes to open. Mustering what will he had, he ordered his eyes to open. Then, he felt his heart hammering within his chest. Light surged in, a bright white then a blur of pink. "Sa…" It was as if he had lost his voice. He could slightly hear himself, but his voice was drowned out by the pinkette's hard sobbing. He attempted to move his hands, try to wipe her tears away, but his body was too worn out.

"Sa…ra…" He whispered. In his mind, he was screaming her name, but it came out in a bare whisper.

Sakura jolted upwards, her green eyes widened in shock. "Itachi…? ITACHI!" In shock she threw herself at him carelessly, encircling his chest tightly with her slender arms. "Itachi! Oh Itachi!"

Sweat was trickling down the sides of her face. She appeared tired. How long had she been here? Where was 'here' anyway? He attempted to move his head, but could only make out the faint green lines of the ECG monitor. Hospital?

"Itachi!" It was a deep voice this time. He couldn't see him, but he knew it was his younger brother.

"Itachi, you're finally awake. I thought…I thought…" Sakura was hiccupping in between her sobs. She attempted to laugh, but her tears were overpowering her. She could hardly talk—a choke in every word she spoke. In the end his name was all she could perfectly say.

Feeling slightly better and with the need to hold Sakura, he attempted to get up. He mustered the strength to push himself up, but faltered half way. It was a good thing Sakura caught him before he slammed himself against the bed.

"No, don't. You're tired." He shook his head. Seeing as their faces were inches apart, her arms encircled around him to prevent him from falling, he leaned over and brushed his lips against her forehead but was too weak to press any further. "Sa…kura…" He uttered before he fell onto his bed and into another slumber.

"Itachi," She smiled and kissed him back on the forehead, grasping the sheets with her hands and tucking him in. She wiped her tears away, straightening herself and turning to Sasuke who had become white as a sheet. To ease him, she raised her hands and gave him the peace sign to signal Itachi's recovery. With that, Sasuke gave out a heavy sigh. His knees buckled from the relief and he fell onto the couch. "Aniki…!" He grumbled as he smirked at his slumbering brother.

**XxxxX**

The next time he awoke, he felt so rejuvenated he began wondering just _how long_ he had been out. He attempted to sit up, but found himself stopping when he noticed the fluff of pink right next to him. He looked around and saw no one else around. With that, he felt it safe to grin carelessly. He remembered the dream with Shisui and his parents. It all felt so real. But no matter if it was real or not, he felt like a changed man. He felt so light. He felt like the world didn't weigh on his shoulders anymore. Is that what forgiveness does?

Lovingly, he caressed her sleeping face. Upon sliding his finger across her chin, she began to stir in her sleep. Quickly, he recoiled his hand. When he saw those familiar pair of greens, he found himself grinning even wider. He leaned in close and whispered her name onto her ear, "Sakura,"

"mm…Itachi…" She whispered back as if she were dreaming. With a chuckle he leaned in closer, "If you don't wake up I'll attack you in your sleep." With that, Sakura jolted up with a start. Still groggy and half asleep she looked around, "ITACHI!" She yelled. Upon seeing her zeal, Itachi smiled and cupped her cheek with his hand, "I finally get to see your face."

She blushed a deep shade of red, her brows furrowing in an attempt to hide her embarrassment and show anger instead. "S-stop it! How dare you go into a coma and then suddenly…I thought you would've…" She paused as she lost her strength.

With that, Itachi frowned. Then suddenly, he leaned forward and pulled Sakura into a deep kiss. Although Sakura tried to say something—probably something along the lines of "this is a hospital"—it ended up being muffled by the kiss, she eventually just shut up and kissed him back. Her arms unconsciously wound up behind his head as he continued his ministrations. His hand circled the small of her back, his tongue tracing her dried lips. She was so weary. When Sakura attempted to gasp for air, he took it as an opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth.

He was famished. It was as if that coma had deprived him so much that he was practically _begging_ for Sakura-contact. And though physically exhausted, he was too busy reconciling with Sakura that his mind was blank and all he could think of was how good it felt to be near Sakura—touching her like this.

When Sakura anchored herself up the bed, because she too felt needy, he slid his hand beneath her thighs to prop her up so she sat on top of him. When he found that he was out of breath and noticed Sakura was attempting to gasp air much more frequently, he pulled away. Sakura's eyes shot open as his mouth left hers and found herself mentally shrieking at their current…position. "I-itachi," She blushed an even deeper shade of red. What on earth had happened? She attempted to get off but Itachi wouldn't let her.

He grasped her arm as if tying her into place. "Stay," he ordered. Upon hearing that stern voice of his, she quickly obeyed and didn't struggle. She stared into his onyx eyes and found herself swimming in them. All thoughts of courtesy and sense of self lost her. She leaned in and pressed her face against his chest, her arms tightly wound around his waist. "Itachi, don't _ever _do that again. You're…you're all I have left."

He lifted her chin. "You know that isn't true."

"BUT I'd DIE without you, right?"

So unrestrained, her words were like something straight from a soap opera. How adorable, but he couldn't help but feel the same way.

"Hn," he grunted. When he saw Sakura's face change to one of annoyance, he began chuckling and kissed the top of her head. "I'd die without you too."

"You don't mean that." She muttered although Itachi did hear it which caused him to frown.

"I mean it." Sakura didn't say anything, "You don't believe me?" Still Sakura didn't say anything. He sighed. "Sakura," He tangled his fingers into her hair, "I love you."

Sakura twitched, his words were so tender. She shut her eyes in an attempt to avoid looking at him. However, when he kept silent and the tension thickened in the air, she couldn't help but open her eyes to meet those hypnotic gray eyes. He pulled her close, kissing the tips of her hair first, then her cheek, then her other cheek, then her chin, and finally her lips once again. "I am never letting you go. Never." He whispered, one hand grasping her hair and nape whilst the other held onto her waist.

In moments, they were caught in each other's grasp once again. Sakura felt her tongue entwine with Itachi's, her lips occasionally nibbling on his bottom lip. She felt his hands travel up and down her back. Slowly, she felt something churn inside her. It was a foreign feeling, but she had a hint of what it was, versed in the human body as she was. She hated to admit it, but quite simply, as her inner self mentally shrieked it out: She was wet. She wanted him, and it showed in the way she subtly pressed her lower body against his.

Was he feeling the same? Dear kami, this was insane. Would they finally…?

She pressed herself against Itachi, her arms tightly holding on to him as if she'd fall if she let go. Itachi had stopped his endeavors on her mouth and had travelled to leaving butterfly kisses along the length of her neck and collar bone. He felt so different. The way he held her, the way he kissed her, it was as if he was a different person. She had only seen him like this _once_, and even then he wasn't as aggressive as he was now.

She felt his lips on hers again. This time, however, she was more responsive. She let out a soft moan between the kiss shocking him and Itachi, but they didn't stop. Slowly, that heat within her bubbled into something else, her innards twisting and turning. It was clear: She wanted him. NOW.

"And here we came thinking our poor, weak Itachi would've been too tired to get up. Seems you have all your energy back, Itachi."

Upon hearing another person's voice, they both quickly parted out of breath and huffing. They both turned their heads around, Sakura looking completely flustered and a bright red whilst Itachi had turned on his emotionless mask on, with just a slight tinge of pink on his face. "K-K-Kisame nii kun!" Sakura fumbled about. "Everyone! I um we um…" She stuttered. The entire Akatsuki had apparently come in and were giving them _that look_.

Among them, it was Sasori, Kakuzu and Nagato who appeared as indifferent as ever. Konan had her head slightly turned elsewhere, a demure shade of pink on her face. Kisame had that awful goofy grin on his face that was screaming everything he was thinking. Hidan and Deidara, on the other hand, were the more responsive of the crowd. "WHAT THE FUCK?" Was what Hidan kept repeating over and over again.

"Y-YOU!" Was what an outraged Deidara said as he charged towards the couple and pulled Sakura away from Itachi's lap.

He held Sakura over the shoulders, much to Sakura's surprise, "BASTARD! How DARE you defile my Sakura like this?" He carefully placed Sakura down as he began yelling at Itachi.

She didn't know what to do. It was pure chaos. "Dei-nii chan p-please! This is a hospital and there are patients and…"

But Deidara could care less. "I don't CARE if you've been in a coma! Bastard! Seducing Sakura! I'll KILL you!" When he attempted to lunge at Itachi, Sakura quickly grasped Deidara by the arms and used her inhuman strength to hold him back, careful not to unleash her monster strength and accidentally toss him aside. "DEIDARA NII CHAN!" In a flurry, Kisame and Sasori quickly came to help and held Deidara down.

"Sakura why'd you let this guy do that to you?" Deidara huffed moments after he was finally calmed down.

"That…um…" Slowly, the blood started rushing to her face, "W-well that's because erm…"

"What's with everyone 'ttebayo?" Naruto and Sasuke popped into the room, a cheeky grin plastered on Naruto's face. "Oi, what's wrong with Sakura?"

Deidara rose from his seat and pointed accusingly at Itachi, "Th-th-that bastard, yeah! He…he.."

Naruto looked back and forth between Deidara and Itachi, "He what?" He saw Deidara glared at him before he rambled something unintelligible. Fortunately, Naruto's ears were quick to pick up the words Made out, Sakura, Itachi, bed, lap and tongue. It was more than enough for Naruto to connect. In the end, he had ended up joining Deidara in bad mouthing Itachi and cursing him. "ITACHI YOU BASTARD 'TTEBAYO!"

Sasuke, who stood next to Itachi, could only sigh. To tell the truth, he too was upset on the 'news' but it wasn't like he didn't know. It wasn't the first time he'd seen them…'make out' so to speak. He cleared his throat before a death glare made Deidara and Naruto stop their struggling.

The others, obviously amazed, would've applauded lest they admit their amazement. They were too proud to admit it. When the tension lessened to some degree, Sasuke fell to his corner. The group began lively conversations all circling around the topic of Itachi and Sakura as a couple. Sasuke was affected—it being out in the open now—but to be honest, he had bigger things on his mind. Once in a while, he'd glance at Itachi who was too focused on the others—Sakura—to notice his intermittently shifting gaze.

Sakura, on the other hand, was attentive enough to notice Sasuke's odd behavior. It was as if he had something to say but couldn't say it. And truthfully, she just wanted an excuse to get out of the room. Her face was still beat red, but she insisted that she keep calm. With that, she stood up and began telling the others to leave.

"What, so you can make out with Itachi, eh?" Hidan was suggestive, nudging at the pinkette who could only blush in response and yell, "NO!" at Hidan. Truth of the matter was, she wouldn't mind spending some more alone time with Itachi. Maybe even…NO! She'd shake those things off of her mind. The last time they came close to actually…making love…Itachi had stopped them.

Clearing her throat, she regained her resolve. With a lot of effort on her part, she finally managed to shove the Akatsuki and Naruto out leaving Sasuke and Itachi alone in the room.

**XxxxX**

Had the room been this spacious the entire time? With the Akatsuki, Sakura and Naruto gone, the room felt like it was suffocating him. He dwindled with the hem of his loose white shirt, his teeth silently gnashing from nervousness. What was he going to say?

"Are you well, Sasuke?" Itachi was the first to break the silence.

"Mm," was his quick answer. Sasuke turned to Itachi albeit his eyes averted and avoiding his gaze. His brother always had a piercing gaze, one that often revealed the truth before it was even unveiled.

Itachi studied his brother. He appeared anxious from the restlessness of his hands to the slight tremble in his voice and eyes. "Sasuke, what's wrong?" He cocked his head to the side ever so slightly, careful not to press any unwanted buttons.

"Nothing," Sasuke glanced at his brother's worried face. _Damn it. Calm down!_ His thoughts raced, repeating words of calm over and over until he finally sucked in enough air to calm himself down for good. "I'm glad you're okay." He muttered out albeit loud enough for Itachi to hear.

Itachi was taken aback. Was this really the deranged—and he scoffed at his term—brother? He grinned, something that had been lost to Sasuke for a long time, "As long as you're okay, Sasuke." Then he remembered his mother's words: Take care of Sasuke.

Sasuke lowered his gaze onto the white hospital floor. He had fallen silent and didn't know what to say next. The silence was insufferable. They were next to one another in the room, but it felt like they were distances apart.

Itachi replayed _that_ night over and over in his head—the blood, the betrayal, the stench of death. He felt a surge of emotion rise within him, his hands gripping the sheets tightly as his frustrations got the better of him.

"At that time," He blurted out of the blue causing Sasuke to twitch in alert, eyes wide and mind open. "I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want a war to break out, and, worse, I didn't want the Uchiha name to be stained." He gave those reasons, but he began to wonder: was that what he really wanted? Perhaps those were greater reasons that came along with his true wish—his selfish wish. "No," he recoiled his previous statement, "The truth was, what I really wanted was to prote—"

…_To protect_ _you, Sasuke, my little brother…_

"Enough," Sasuke stopped him. Itachi attempted to study his face but found no light to his thoughts. What was Sasuke thinking? He couldn't tell. He could only wait in anguish for what was to come next.

Sasuke took a step closer, his face and aura unreadable. He was silent, and the air was growing tense with each second that it was unbearable to breathe. He stopped, swallowing a nervous lump in his throat.

"I forgive you."

It was straightforward, hurried and awkward. A slight tinge of red had lit up his face, an awkward gaze averted at something other than his brother.

Itachi had repeated each syllable in his head. _I forgive you_. He felt his heart race.

"I think I understand that what you did," Sasuke awkwardly said, "You were driven to a corner and that was the only choice you had." Sasuke stared at the palms of his hands, seeing them pale and tremble slightly, "You were trying to protect as many people as you could."

He was stunned, his tongue in a bind to say anything. Forgiveness when he deserved none? "Sasuke…" He uttered out. "I—" He cut himself off, trying to find the words to say. He had no excuses for the crimes he had committed in the past. Just as Shisui had said in his "dream", no matter the reason, killing was still killing and on its own a sin. However, was this what Shisui meant? That the wounds would heal, but if he did not learn to forgive himself then it would surmount to nothing?

_I think it's about time you forgive yourself_, Shisui had said. Within the depths of his soul, he searched himself for an answer. _Repentance, dear brother, can go a long way._

Then he remembered. _You're human, Itachi. _That's right. He was human, and it was human to err. _"Forgiving oneself is hard indeed"_ He thought. He grinned to himself, one that caught Sasuke, who was silently waiting in anticipation, off guard. If indeed he had wronged, then he would simply correct it to his best capabilities. Yes, that sounded right.

And when he finally, truly, decided that he would forgive himself for the errors he had committed in his past and use the time given to him to repent for his sins, he suddenly felt the world clear. It was as if the world was at peace and everything felt _right_ again. But the world hadn't changed, that he knew as much. No, it was he that had changed. _He was different._

He basked in this newly found feeling, a tiny bubble of light erupting from within him. _Inner peace._ All was right in the world and he felt nothing but complete and utter bliss—Happiness. And in his glee he said nothing more but simply grasped his brother's head into a headlock.

"O-Oi!" Sasuke, flustered, said as he felt the top of his head impact his brother's stern shoulder. "L-let go of me!"

Itachi chuckled, holding his brother in his grasp, "Sorry, Sasuke. I'm just happy."

Sasuke studied his brother's expressions. Happy? That was evident, but it was odd for Itachi Uchiha to be practically glowing with it. _Oh well_, he thought as his brother finally loosened his grip, giving Sasuke leeway to pull his head out. "Wh-whatever! Anyway," Sasuke straightened his top, "Don't go falling into any comas sometime soon. You were out for so long, Sakura was beginning to worry." He muttered out, his gaze still averted somewhere, arms folded across his chest.

The older Uchiha gazed at him for a while, picking up the truth behind his words. He extended his hand, ruffling up the top of his brother's duck hair. "I worried you, didn't I? Gomen."

Sasuke flushed, "I-I wasn't worried! Th-that's just stupid!"

He saw his older brother's smile widen, an extremely odd gesture that he found unnerving. Itachi kept his hand on his now ruffled hair, but for some odd reason, he couldn't find it in himself to whack it away.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. Your big brother is here to protect you, no matter what happens."

For a moment, Sasuke was awestruck, and then he felt the blood rush to his face. "Wh-who ever said I needed protection? A-Anyway, I still don't like you. I still haven't forgiven you for Sakura." He huffed quite childishly. Oh dear lord, his façade was breaking.

Itachi was silent for a few moments. His eyes did not wander off; rather, they were intently fixed on his brother. He sighed, "Sorry, Sasuke. I'd do anything for you…except that. She's the one thing I can't give you." Itachi outright refused. There were moments when he thought it best to hand over Sakura to Sasuke, but the very thought killed him. Thus, he indulged his desires however few.

"Hmph. I'd thought you'd almost give in." Sasuke turned back to his brother with a straight face.

"Did I fail your expectations?"

"Hn. I'm leaving." Sasuke was about to leave when his brother grasped him from behind to give him another bear hug. "Oi! Aniki!" Regardless of the situation, 'aniki' had slipped out without him meaning to.

When Itachi heard his brother call out 'aniki' he felt much happier and only tightened his grip on his brother. For a moment, he held onto his brother, relishing the thought of being able to reconcile with him. Then he stopped, loosening his grip on his brother, "You know, I spoke to okaa san and otou san." Sasuke stopped struggling, whipping his head around in surprise. "What?"

Itachi quieted down as he took in a deep breath. "I'm still uncertain on whether what I saw was some sort of dream, hallucination or genjutsu. But I saw them Sasuke. They looked and _felt_ so…alive." His eyes were downcast, his voice slightly trembling.

"It was probably a dream."

"Well, whatever it was, it released me."

"Released you?"

Itachi snorted, "Yeah. By the way, okaa san told me to tell you that she loved the both of us and that we should both find happiness."

Sasuke was silent; he scrutinized his brother's face. In the end, he ended up smirking. "Aa. Let's both do that then."

"Ah and she told me one more thing."

"What?"

Itachi stared deep into Sasuke's eyes before he let the words go, "She told me to hurry up and give her grandchildren."

Sasuke stuttered in his shock, almost falling over from his mother's, apparently, wishes. "hah?"

Itachi had said this in an extremely serious manner. The tone of his voice revealed how much their mother's wish weighed heavily on his shoulders. He appeared to struggle with his thoughts before he finally turned to Sasuke once again, "I badly want to fulfill mother's wishes, but Sakura's too young. For her to bear a child at her age would be—"

Itachi saw his brother's eyes widen in shock—and probable disgust—before he attempted to tackle him. "OI! Who said it was YOU who had to give okaa san grandchildren _with_ Sakura?"

"Well it's only logical. After all, I'm older, and she's my lover." He had said this without a hint of embarrassment, hesitance, restraint or change of expression. It was simply Itachi regally stating facts.

Sasuke could feel his guts churn with a resurrected _hate_ for his brother. It was that same hate when Itachi was just simply _better_ than him in everything. But he wouldn't yield. "I just forgave you. Don't push your luck, Itachi-teme. And don't forget, I'm younger. I have more stamina than you."

"Do you?" Itachi raised a brow at him, "Even IF that were so, I still have better techniques than you."

Sasuke gawked, "W-well you're ill." He stuck his nose up in the air, "I'm in better health than you are."

"I have more experience."

Sasuke felt his eye twitch in frustration. He couldn't argue with that one. He did try, however it ended to no avail. In the end, the argument had ended with Itachi finally mentioning the word that had Sasuke completely at his mercy, "Virgin."

Although unwilling to make use of this small trivia, Itachi had to admit that he had his little trysts—he was still a man after all—but he had done so in Sakura's absence—when he thought her gone. To attempt to bury his mourning for Sakura's apparently fake death, he had gone over and…garnered experience.

Of course, this was done under the influence of Kisame's wondrous alcohol temptations—one which he never wanted to repeat again. He always ended up waking next to some naked woman with no recollection of the night whatsoever. After a few meetings, Itachi had decided he was done with drowning himself in alcoholism and quit listening to Kisame's advises entirely.

Itachi never wanted to look back at those hazy moments with even hazier women, but his pride in having the right to "procreate" with Sakura was on the line. Despite his best efforts to _never _speak of those nights, he had to use it against his younger brother. With that, the winner of their little banter was decided.

_Damn Itachi. _Was all Sasuke could respond with.

**XxxxxxX**

Sakura Haruno stood before the Nurse's desks, finishing up the last of Itachi Uchiha's discharge papers. The physicians had all marked their notes as "to go home" with just a few take home medications on the side. This would be no trouble for Sakura, however, who was well versed in their orders. She double checked each page, making sure not to miss out any papers that needed signing.

"Did you see them earlier? Those Akatsuki walked in and out of this place as if they weren't wanted criminals," She overheard the gossiping of two on-duty nurses who were too engrossed in their own paperwork and endorsements to notice the pinkette standing inches from them.

"Yeah, scary. I don't understand why the godaime would allow such monsters to roam the streets."

"Well it was her apprentice that suggested it."

"Haruno san? It seems that she has a bit of history with them."

"I heard of that too. People said that there was a time when Haruno disappeared without a trace. Apparently, she'd been living with the Akatsuki."

"Oh my god, I didn't hear that one. What if she's in on them? Like they're planning to take over Konoha or something?"

"What, like they did some sort of mind control jutsu to the Hokage? She seems perfectly fine though."

"Maybe that's what they want us to think, ne?"

"Maybe."

"But…Did you hear about the mine incident? Apparently the Akatsuki saved the miners."

The other scrunched up her face in disbelief, "But who's to say they didn't start it in the first place? I hear one of them can make bombs or something."

"That's true too."

Although Sakura tried her best not to listen in, she couldn't help but feel drawn into their conversation. She felt berated. Here were her nii sans honestly trying to win the hearts of the citizens, but it would only back fire against them. Why didn't anyone try and see the good in them? She sighed. The two nurses had stopped gossiping when a phone call disrupted one of them, forcing the other one to focus on work.

When the latter glanced up to see who it was standing before them, thinking it was a patient or relative of one, she found herself reeling at the mess of pink. "Ha-Haruno san! P-pleasure to see you." Had they been found out?

"Hello," Was Sakura's pleasant greeting. She noticed the one on the phone had attempted to avoid meeting her gaze or joining in the conversation.

"I'm just finishing these discharge papers. Uchiha Itachi is ready to be discharged later this evening. I hope things will be in order by then."

"A-aa, of course Haruno san." The nurse attempted to smile at Sakura—a ditch effort to rid the awkward atmosphere. Sakura didn't look it, but the Nurse had a gut feeling that their resident medic nin had heard more than she should've. "We'll have the papers ready on the double!"

"Mm, thank you." She began walking away when she quickly turned around. She could've held her tongue—kept walking—but she just couldn't let it slide. "And just to let you know, the mine attack was caused by shinobi from different villages. It wasn't the Akatsuki. In fact, they just _saved_ Konoha from being attacked. Also, I don't think it's good conduct for Nurses to be judgmental. Our job is to help save lives, see patients holistically, and care for our clients. We do all of this without a single shred of prejudice or discrimination."

Snapping some sense into the two nurses, the two lowered their heads in apology.

"Believe me when I say this: those men are good people. They may have done things in the past, but they're trying to make up for them. They're human, just as we are, and like all humans, they have remorse. It may seem impossible, but they do feel things. And right now, they're doing all they can to rid themselves of their reputation—no matter how useless it may seem. They're trying their best to change themselves. Real men. That's what my nii sans are."

Sakura lowered her head, hoping that somehow the message would get through to them. After her attempt to change their mindsets, no matter what the outcome was, Sakura simply began walking away. She prayed, hoped, that the people of Konoha would change their minds and learn to accept the Akatsuki.

After all, the Akatsuki weren't bad people. They were simply misunderstood. That's what Sakura believed. True, if she too hadn't known the Akatsuki for who they were and had simply gotten to know them for what they appeared to be, she too would've been untrusting and spiteful. However the thing was, she _did _know them for who they were, and sinful or not, she loved them as family. They say that the one thing people can't choose to have is family. And she agreed entirely. However given the choice, she wouldn't change the way things were. Mother, Father, aunt, Akatsuki—everyone had their sins, but she'd love them and accept them for who they were—freckles and all.

**XxxxX**

Sakura stood next to the slightly cracked open door. Within the room, she could hear the mumbled conversations of Sasuke and Itachi. Did she mistake that? They were laughing? Well, with the Uchihas, laughter was more of a grunt and a chuckle, but they seemed…happy? Sakura silently smiled to herself. At least she had nothing more to worry about when it came to the two. She tried listening in to the actual conversation, but found that they were speaking too softly too be understood. Even if their voices were slightly raised, it was difficult to make out any dialogues exchanged.

She shrugged, shaking her head to dismiss the thoughts. Did what they say matter? As long as they were getting along, and nothing appeared to be burned to bits then everything was fine, wasn't it?

She waited until silence befell the room. When she felt that everything had settled, she knocked on the door and proceeded within. She found Sasuke looking annoyed and Itachi chuckling at his brother. Hold on, chuckling? At Sasuke? How unexpected. She sighed in relief and walked up to the two. "I'm glad you two have made up."

Sasuke grunted before taking his place beside Sakura. Protectively, he wound his arm around Sakura's waist, "What do you see in that guy? He's nothing but a lecherous pedophile." Sasuke flicked his hand at Itachi as if shooing him away.

Sakura cocked her head to the side, dismissing his comment about Itachi being a pedophile with a chuckle. Looking back, she vaguely remembered Itachi being called that a long time ago. When was it? "Well anyway, Tsunade sama and the doctors have given you permission to be discharged today. I'll start gathering your things."

"Home, huh?" Itachi muttered. Where was home? The depraved Uchiha manor? Could that still be called home?

"Sasuke-kun, come help too."

Itachi stared at the two people he cared for the most. Grinning from ear to ear, Sakura sorted out his things however few, and his brother, still-faced as always, obediently followed Sakura's orders. With a sigh, he mentally kicked himself. Of course, home wasn't a place per se. _His_ home was wherever these two were.

"Let's go home then," he quietly said to himself, a small smile plastered on his face.

XxxxxX

Sakura had her hands behind her back, eyes carefully ogling the room and checking if everything was in place. The Haruno compound was small, but it was enough for the Akatsuki, Sasuke, Akane—she prayed for her soul—and her to live in. It was a miracle how they did, but she was at least thankful that they could all stay under one roof like one big happy family.

"Itachi," She turned, grasping the injured man by the arm, and guided him towards the bed. "Don't strain yourself so much. You're still recovering."

"Aa," he sighed, "I hate being the patient."

Sakura giggled, one which Itachi responded with a blank-faced cock of the head.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just…it's not like you to air your complaints. Did something happen?"

He was silent for a few moments before he turned away. "Hn. Nothing in particular."

Sakura simply responded with a grin before opting to stand. "Well, I should go. Deidara nii chan is on full alert mode. I think he's still angry about _that._" After Deidara had witnessed such an eye-opening scene, he had thoroughly refused to let Sakura alone with Itachi. It had taken a disgruntled Kisame and a firm Nagato to allow Sakura to escort Itachi to his room.

Itachi watched as Sakura made her way to the door. He watched her approach the door before he suddenly remembered his dream with Shisui and felt an impulse to pull Sakura back. He jerked towards Sakura, but ended up wincing in pain. It appeared that his ribs weren't as healed as he thought.

"Itachi!" Sakura was quick to respond, grasping him by the shoulder and attempting to ease his pain. She was sitting beside him, a warm hand placed on his chest as the chakra flowed from them. She was so engrossed in her healing that she had not noticed the needy look Itachi had in his eyes. "I told you not to—" She was silenced with a desperate and heated kiss.

With a deep blush on her cheeks, she attempted to scold Itachi for his brashness, "Mou, Itachi you—"

"Don't go."

Sakura felt all thoughts leave her head. Speechless, she could only gawk as she attempted to process his words. The next thing she knew, she felt Itachi's hands coil around her waist, her face forcibly pressed against his chest, "I won't let you go." He whispered like a mantra over and over again. Sakura didn't know how to respond, she let Itachi cling to her like a scared little boy. In her unsettled self, she instinctively caressed his face with her hand in comfort.

Itachi's eyes widened in surprise, the touch of her finger tips sending a distinctive warmth rippling through him. He let his hand travel towards her nape, applying pressure so she had to lift her gaze. He lowered himself onto her, capturing her lips into a gentle, chaste kiss.

Sakura reveled in the feel of Itachi's helplessness. She wondered why he had suddenly changed into something like this, but she didn't ask. She simply smiled within the kiss and pulled him closer through the wringing of her hands upon his nape. It was meant to be a loving gesture, nothing more. It was meant to be their usual kiss.

But something bubbled inside of her, and she felt something awaken within her. She had felt it before: on that night when Itachi confessed to her, and previously when Itachi had kissed her oh so sweetly. It was supposed to feel wrong, but it didn't. Somehow, between the way Itachi stroked her thighs and coiled his tongue around hers, everything felt right.

In an act of self restraint—little as it was—she attempted to push him off but found no strength—or will—to do so. She briefly stopped the kiss, taking the moment to gaze into his endless gray orbs. They were hypnotizing. He leaned in closer, ghosting his lips on her ears before gently breathing into them like a predatory animal. "Sakura," he whispered. And just like that, all rationality left her.

She let herself fall onto the bed, Itachi finding his footing and settling on top of her, encasing her with his knees. With just the need to be touched, she guided his hand towards her top's zipper as if coaxing him to take it off. She saw Itachi's face briefly change emotion. Was that a flicker of doubt? She felt Itachi shift his weight, his gaze turning elsewhere. Were his injuries bothering him? If so, then wasn't it better to stop?

"Itachi," She whispered, gently brushing her fingertips on his cheeks so he would turn to look at her, "Does it hurt?" When he shook his head, she quickly lifted his black meshed shirt, revealing his many bandages that endowed his scar-ridden chest. She ran her fingers over his wounds, seeing if he would wince. When he attempted to hide the pain, she frowned. She jabbed at his wound until Itachi couldn't resist twitching in pain. "Liar."

"This is…nothing."

"There you go again!" Sakura wrapped her arms around his waist, catching the Uchiha by surprise. "It's always like this. Ever since before, even if you were injured you'd never say anything. You'd always shoulder everything like it was _your_ burden."

"Why do you and Sasuke do that? Why do you both hurt yourselves? Why bottle things up like that?"

Tears were welling in her eyes, but she couldn't shed them—no—not now. She had to be strong. She had to be the girl who didn't cry anymore. She gazed upwards, catching Itachi's gaze.

"Don't you trust me?"

Itachi froze. Ah, that's right. The lack of trust, indeed. The reason why he had done everything in his power to shelter Sakura and Sasuke all these years from the pain was because he hadn't trusted them to bear it. He shouldered everything because he thought that the two of them couldn't have handled it. But did it lead anywhere? Did it make things better? He supposed not.

If anything, he probably broke them more than he protected them. He hurt them more than anyone did.

Looking back, he had always thought of Sakura and Sasuke as the innocent ones that he had to protect. They were children who were born into this world with nothing but a clean slate. They had no sins. They were clean. They were Tabula Rasa.

And he attempted to keep them that way. He went to great lengths to ensure that Sasuke and Sakura were never to be tainted with the world.

But that was inevitable wasn't it? Sooner or later, the corrupted world would take them and poison them anyway. So, if he knew that, why did he bother in the first place? His sense of redemption? His self-decided act of "good"? Or was this his way of selfishly holding on to something that reminded him of everything that was good?

He stared down at Sakura, taking in her form now. Her womanly body, her direct gaze, her trained intellect, her roughened hands—she was in no way a child. The child he attempted to shelter had, by herself, grown up. He had to admit, if he could've kept her as a child forever, things would've been easier. But despite his great efforts, she had bloomed into a flower. It seemed that he had forgotten his greatest enemy: Time.

Though noting the course of things, Time was probably his savior as well as his teacher.

In his reverie, he had almost forgotten to answer her question. In response, he lowered himself against her and pressed his lips against her forehead. "Forgive me." He caressed her face, gazing at her with a sad expression.

"Itachi?"

He pulled himself off of her, turning his back towards her. "I lost myself there. You may retire to your room now."

Go away? Is that what he meant? She stared at his back, ogling the way it appeared small and helpless. On an impulse, she wrapped her arms around his chest from behind, "I don't want to leave you. I won't. I'll stay here, even if you tell me to leave."

Itachi chuckled, turning towards her and cupping her face into his hands, "You won't leave?"

"No."

"Never?"

"Never ever."

"How stubborn," he said whilst he sighed in defeat. "I really can't win against you, can I?" A smile graced his features.

Sakura gave out a hearty chuckle, giving him a cheeky grin afterwards.

"You used to do everything I said."

"That was when I was a kid, Itachi _nii san_." She saw Itachi's face twitch at the honorific. "Itachi, do I still appear as a child to you? Do you want me to stay as a child?"

"That—that's not possible. It is inevitable that you won't stay a child forever." He gazed at something non-existant.

"BUT if it were possible. Would you?"

Now Itachi was stumped. Given the chance, assuming there was, did he want her to stay as a child? Well 'of course' would've been his usual response. That's what he had been trying to do all those years, wasn't it? Shelter her and protect her so her innocence as a child would never disappear. So why, despite his ideologies, did he had a desire to contradict himself? To tell himself that that wasn't what he really wanted?

Then it struck him. As he gazed into Sakura's soul-filled green orbs, he realized the answer that was staring right at him: Sakura. Sakura was Sakura. This beautiful 17 year old that was staring right at him was Sakura Haruno. In the past, she was quite different but she was still Sakura Haruno.

Wasn't that the answer? Wasn't that what mattered?

Despite everything—change and all—she was still Sakura Haruno. It didn't matter what form she was in, what mattered was her heart. And frankly, even as the years passed and she was in her own right _different_, her heart was the same. Kind, strong, and perceptive—his Sakura.

"Does it matter?" he finally answered. And when he saw Sakura's brows frown in confusion, he expounded, "The Sakura Before and the Sakura Now, they're all different, but I like all of those Sakuras."

All sides of Sakura, innocent or not. What was his basis of innocence anyway? Being sinless? Being good? Being ideal? Being Tabula Rasa? Being perfect? Foolish thinking. There was no such thing as innocence, he decided, because from the very beginning we're born human. Humans inevitably make mistakes, and that in itself shatters the "cleanliness" he held dear.

If people were born as Tabula Rasas, that wasn't meant to last. Sooner or later, a mistake would've been committed. But no matter how many stains are on the tablet, it was meant to shape people into something wasn't it? Mistakes mold people, or so he thought. Thus, this Sakura before him, tainted or not, was molded by her experiences in life. This Sakura was a different Sakura from the one he knew back then, yet at the same time those Sakuras were one and the same in some ironic mesh. Besides, considering things, was innocence as important anyway? He began doubting his ideologies. What was important was the love, wasn't it?

They had stayed silent. The night was still, and the lush leaves of Konoha could be heard rustling amidst the unmoving black, star-filled sky. "Well I like all of Itachi too. Whether it's Itachi _nii san_ or the needy Itachi, I like them all."

"Even the killer Itachi?"

"Mm. The killer Itachi is still a kind man. Even that Itachi is gentle—I like everything about Itachi." She giggled, pulling herself closer towards the small of Itachi's chest. "Itachi, I love you. So please, trust me a little. Don't shoulder everything."

"Aa," he smiled, "well then, if you say so." He leaned in towards her, "Shall I be honest?"

Sakura nodded, feeling the blood rush towards her face due to his proximity.

"My body hurts." He nonchalantly said before grasping her hand and placing it on his chest area, "But my heart hurts even more."

"Wh-why?" She felt his breath. What was that look in his eyes?

"Because I want to hold you, Sakura." Bluntly said, Sakura was at a loss for words, "I want to hold you until the sun rises up and even after that. I want to hold you so close to me and so hard that you won't be able to go anywhere."

Sakura gulped down, feeling her heart suddenly hammer against her chest. This was too much honesty in one blow! Squeezing her eyes shut, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, "Th-then why don't you?" …what did she say?

She saw Itachi's face change to one of surprise, and then a deep-set delight. "Are you certain?"

She mustered courage, "Y-you were the one who s-stopped before." She stuttered, referring to the events of before.

Itachi chuckled, "Aa, forgive me. I was…different back then." He stroked her hair, "So will you let me embrace you?" His straightforwardness caused Sakura's blush to deepen, "If you don't want to, you only need to tell me. I will wait for you, Sakura no matter how long you wish."

"I…" This was all happening so fast. It was true that she wasn't satisfied with their heated make out sessions, but it was also true that her chastity was something she treasured. But if it was Itachi, he'd cherish her. She swallowed hard, biting her lip from the tension. Then she lifted her gaze to stare intently into his eyes.

"Please embrace me."

With a smile, Itachi grasped her fingers and kissed them one at a time. "As you wish."

XxxxxX

_**[Because of the nature of the content within the next few lines, this has been censored. Please refer to the cut out of this chapter.]**_

**XxxxxX**

**-There you have it. I'm so glad Sakura and Itachi finally xx'ed. xD Although it wasn't as rough as most of you probably…wanted…? (o/o) I did intend it to be sweet and slow. After all, it's their first time. **

**-Anyway, thank you so much for those who reviewed my story and for those who took the time to read it. I am very grateful for my readers' never ending support despite the lack of activity. ^ ^ ; Please continue to support it :D Until next time! ^ ^ **

**-To see the part that's been cut out of the chapter please refer to the links displayed in my profile page. It's inconvenient, I know, but it's to avoid being purged out of **

**-off topic: Have you all read the latest Naruto chapters with Itachi and his **_**new**_** last words to Sasuke? I'm squealing in pity, sadness and happiness. 3 of course, having read the manga, I edited this chapter to include minor details from that chapter. (My update and Kishi's update were so perfectly timed with one another) **

**-"I will always love you" -Itachi Uchiha **


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